Reuters
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump threatened to sharply escalate a trade conflict with China, asking his administration to identify $200 billion in imported goods from China to be penalized with tariffs.
Trump’s move comes after Beijing announced it would retaliate in kind to planned U.S. tariffs on $50 billion in imports from China. The U.S. president’s latest plans, if carried out, would likely plunge the world’s two biggest economies into a trade war.
Trump, in response to China retaliating to new US tariffs, announces he has directed Lighthizer to "identify $200 billion worth of Chinese goods for additional tariffs at a rate of 10 percent," adding they will go into effect after legal process if China doesn't change practices pic.twitter.com/B6Or6YSTvu
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) June 18, 2018
“Unfortunately, China has determined that it will raise tariffs on $50 billion worth of United States exports,” Trump said in a statement Monday evening, directing U.S. trade representative Robert Lighthizer to identify $200 billion more in products for tariffs of 10%.
“If China increases its tariffs yet again, we will meet that action by pursuing additional tariffs on another $200 billion of goods,” Trump said.
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