Trump orders tariff hikes on remaining Chinese goods, worth about $300bn

(RT) – US President Donald Trump has ordered to kick-start the process of cranking up tariffs on “all remaining Chinese goods” worth $300 billion. That is in addition to a fresh 15 percent tariff hike on $200 billion worth of imports.
In a statement Friday, Trump’s chief trade negotiator Robert E. Lighthizer announced that the US eyes increasing import tariffs on virtually all Chinese goods.

Earlier on Thursday, the US increased tariffs on some $200 billion worth of Chinese goods from 10 to 25 percent as the negotiations over the trade deal stalled after Bejiing reportedly walked back on some of the terms of the draft agreement.

As the high-level US-China trade talks that kicked off on Thursday ended on Friday with no breakthrough, Lighthizer said that Trump decided to slap tariffs on additional $300 billion worth of Chinese imports.

“The President also ordered us to begin the process of raising tariffs on essentially all remaining imports from China,” he stated.

Although the Chinese and the US sides seem to be miles away from thrashing out a deal, Trump appears not concerned with the negotiations hitting a brick wall.

Trump to China: Trade deal now or it will be ‘far worse’ after 2020

(NST) – President Donald Trump warned China on Saturday that it should strike a trade deal with the United States now, otherwise an agreement would be “far worse for them if it has to be negotiated in my second term.”

Washington and Beijing are locked in a trade battle that has seen mounting tariffs, sparking fears the dispute will damage the global economy.

Two days of talks ended Friday with no deal. China’s top negotiator said the two sides would meet again in Beijing at an unspecified date, but warned that China would make no concessions on “important principles.”

“I think that China felt they were being beaten so badly in the recent negotiation that they may as well wait around for the next election, 2020, to see if they could get lucky & have a Democrat win — in which case they would continue to rip-off the USA for $500 Billion a year,” Trump said in a tweet Saturday.

“The only problem is that they know I am going to win (best economy & employment numbers in U.S. history, & much more), and the deal will become far worse for them if it has to be negotiated in my second term. Would be wise for them to act now, but love collecting BIG TARIFFS!”

Donald Trump’s 2020 election campaign materials are currently being print in China