China vows to hit back after Donald Trump imposes tariffs on $50bn worth of imports

Tariff war: Donald Trump is seriously escalating tensions with China
AP
David Gardner15 June 2018

The world’s two biggest economies were plunging into a trade war today after Donald Trump approved a US plan to impose punitive tariffs on $50 billion of Chinese imports.

Beijing has said it will hit back with retaliatory trade penalties of a similar scale on American products such as cars, planes and soybeans.

Mr Trump’s move seriously escalates tensions with China, only a week after he picked a fight with the EU, Canada and Mexico over steel and aluminium. The tariffs were set to be confirmed by the White House today following a meeting last night between the president and top officials.

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman warned China’s response would be immediate and said Beijing would “take necessary measures to defend our legitimate rights and interests”.

The tariffs threaten to derail relations with China just as the US seeks to maintain pressure on North Korea over its nuclear weapons after Tuesday’s summit between Mr Trump and Kim Jong-un in Singapore. As Pyongyang’s biggest trade partner, China is the major power in the region.

Chinese imports ranging from false teeth to flat-screen TVs will be targeted
AP

Negotiations between the US and China aimed at finding a compromise trade deal have been shelved along with recent commitments by the Chinese to increase purchases of American goods.

Ignoring a warning from the International Monetary Fund that a trade war could undermine global growth, Mr Trump said he will be confronting China “very strongly” over trade.

He told Fox News China “could be a little bit upset”. China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, warned the US not to make a move that would involve “confrontation and mutual loss”.

Chinese imports ranging from false teeth to flat-screen TVs will be targeted for the proposed 25 per cent tariffs, which could be implemented in stages. They were a central plank of Mr Trump’s election campaign, but American businesses and many Republican leaders oppose them.

Mexico has imposed tariffs on US goods in retaliation to Mr Trump’s trade penalties, and the EU and Canada plan tariffs on US products in July.

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