WASHINGTON — By imposing tariffs on $200 billion more in Chinese goods starting next week, President Donald Trump has intensified his trade war with Beijing and triggered the likelihood of price increases for many American companies and consumers.

Beijing has said it will swiftly retaliate against American exporters — a move that stands to hurt U.S. farmers and other companies that sell their products to China. Beijing may also raise obstacles for U.S. companies to do business in China.

Here’s a look at what’s happening and its likely impact.

WHAT IS THE U.S. DOING?

The Trump administration will begin taxing $200 billion in Chinese goods starting Monday. The tariffs will start at 10 percent and rise to 25 percent in 2019.

The target list is huge, ranging from rattan mats to burglar alarms to bicycles. But the administration struck some items from the originally planned $200 billion tariff list, including bicycle helmets and other child safety products. And, in a victory for Apple Inc., smart watches and some other electronics products won’t be subject to the new tariffs, either.

The administration and Beijing have already imposed import taxes on $50 billion worth of each other’s products. Beijing’s target list of U.S. goods to penalize was heavy on agriculture.

That’s hardly a coincidence. Its tariffs are meant to deliver pain to American farmers, who overwhelmingly backed Trump in the 2016 election and whose interests are represented by powerful lobbyists and members of Congress. Exports to China account for about 60 percent of the overseas sales of American soybean farmers, who stand to lose sales as a result of China’s tariffs.

The Trump administration has accused China of using predatory tactics in a lawless drive to overtake America’s technological supremacy. U.S. officials point to Beijing’s long-range development plan, “Made in China 2025,” which calls for creating powerful Chinese entities in such areas as information technology, robotics, aerospace equipment, electric vehicles and biopharmaceuticals.

Foreign business groups argue that “Made in China 2025” is unfairly forcing them to the sidelines in those industries. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative concluded after an investigation that China’s tactics range from requiring U.S. and other foreign companies to hand over technology in return for access to the vast Chinese market to outright cyber-theft. The U.S. also asserts that Beijing uses state money to buy American technology at prices unaffordable for private companies.

The Trump administration said the new tariffs on an additional $200 billion in Chinese imports was a response to Beijing’s failure so far to end those tactics.

WHAT’S THE LIKELY IMPACT FROM A U.S.-CHINA TRADE WAR?

It’s not entirely clear. Economists at Bank of America Merrill Lynch have warned that a full-fledged trade war, especially one that lasts more than a year, would slow the U.S. economy. By disrupting supply chains, eroding business confidence and heightening uncertainty, a trade war, they say, could “push the economy toward full-blown recession” and jeopardize America’s economic expansion — the second-longest on record.

Besides American soybean farmers, American manufacturers are also being squeezed. Machinery and components used in finished goods made in the United States have been affected. U.S. manufacturers are having to pay more for parts and equipment, thereby putting them at a competitive disadvantage to foreign rivals.

ISN’T THE U.S. ALSO SPARRING WITH OTHER TRADING PARTNERS?

Trump is battling in just about every direction. He has imposed tariffs on imported steel and aluminum — action that has drawn retaliatory tariffs from U.S. allies like Canada, Mexico and the European Union. The president is also threatening to impose tariffs on imported vehicles and auto parts on the grounds that they pose a threat to America’s national security.

Trump also wants to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement, which includes the United States, Mexico and Canada, with a new agreement that would shift more auto production to the U.S. The administration has already reached a deal with Mexico that excluded Canada. Talks to keep Canada in a North American trade bloc have been ongoing, with the two longtime allies divided over such issues as Canada’s dairy market and U.S. efforts to shield drug companies from generic competition.

By brawling with America’s friends, critics say, Trump has squandered an opportunity to build a united front against China. After all, Europe, Japan and other rich countries have the same complaints about Chinese trade practices that America does.

IS THERE ANY REASON TO EXPECT A RESOLUTION?

There have been periodic reports that the Trump administration was on the verge of resuming talks with Beijing. Informal communications are still going on, administration officials have said, but no formal talks are scheduled.

For a time, it looked as though peace might be at hand. In May, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin declared the trade war “on hold.” The Trump administration suspended its tariffs after Beijing agreed to increase its purchases of U.S. goods, especially in agriculture and energy. The idea was that China’s additional purchases would shrink its trade surplus with the United States. Yet the cease-fire was short-lived. Critics dismissed Beijing’s commitments as vague, and Trump decided to proceed with the tariffs after all.

HAVE THERE BEEN TRADE WARS BEFORE?

You’d have to go back to the 1930s to find anything close to the hostility between the U.S. and its top trading partners right now. During the Great Depression, many countries, including the United States, closed their markets to imports. A plunge in global trade likely worsened the Depression.

Many less intense trade conflicts have followed. President Ronald Reagan slapped tariffs on $300 million worth of Japanese imports in a dispute over the semiconductor industry and strong-armed Tokyo into accepting limits on car shipments to the United States.

In 2002, President George W. Bush imposed tariffs on Chinese steel. The move allowed U.S. steel producers to increase prices, raising costs for companies that buy steel and pressuring them to cut back elsewhere. But the tariffs are thought to have cost significant U.S. job losses.

In 2009, the Obama administration imposed tariffs on Chinese tires, charging that a surge in imports was hurting the U.S. tire industry. Beijing counterpunched. It imposed a tax of up to 105 percent on U.S. chicken feet — a throwaway item in the U.S. that’s considered a delicacy in China. The Peterson Institute for International Economics calculated that the tariffs probably saved 1,200 American tire jobs. But consumers paid over $900,000 in higher tire prices for each job saved.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. </s> The President of the United States announced Thursday that he is considering to impose a new set of tariffs worth $100 billion on Chinese products after the Asian giant decided to apply extra duties on US products in response to the $50 billion of taxes Washington levied on Chinese imports.

US President Donald Trump ordered the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) to "identify the products to impose such tariffs," of about $100 billion, "in the light of China's unfair retaliation". </s> WASHINGTON, Aug 23 — The United States today imposed steep import tariffs on another US$16 billion (RM65.62 billion) in Chinese goods in the dispute over what US officials say is the rampant theft of American technology.

That completes the first round of US$50 billion in products that President Donald Trump targeted, after US$34 billion in goods were hit with punitive duties on July 6.

China has said it will react immediately with tariffs on the same amount of US goods, targeting iconic products like Harley Davidson motorcycles, bourbon and orange juice, among hundreds of others. — AFP </s> The Chinese government Monday said that from June 1 it will impose tariffs on $60 billion worth of goods from the United States, in response to the latest measure adopted by President Donald Trump.

It was a new chapter in the bitter trade dispute between the two countries, China responded to the last tariff increase ordered by Trump on Friday, which affects Chinese goods worth $200 billion. </s> A Chinese worker checks aluminium tapes at an aluminium production plant in Huaibei, east China's Anhui province in May 2017.

WASHINGTON – The Trump administration announced Tuesday it is moving forward with a 25 percent tariff on $16 billion in Chinese goods, further escalating a trade war with Beijing.

The new tariffs will take effect on Aug. 23 and will impact 279 product lines, down from the original 284 that were proposed on June 15, the U.S. Trade Representative’s office said. Products to be impacted include electronics, plastics and railway freight cars.

The tariffs are the second round of duties that the U.S. has imposed on Chinese goods in a dispute over technology. An initial round of tariffs was placed on $34 billion of Chinese products on July 6.

More: South Carolina company blames tariffs on possible layoffs

More tariffs could be coming soon

President Donald Trump earlier proposed 10 percent tariffs on an additional $200 billion of Chinese imports. Last week, he instructed U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to consider more than doubling those duties to 25 percent. Those tariffs could be levied in September, following a public comment period.

The latest round of tariffs comes during a breakdown of trade talks between the Trump administration and Beijing and amid a growing trade dispute that has rattled global markets.

In July, Beijing announced that it would slap an extra 25 percent duty on 545 products from the United States including soybeans, electric cars, orange juice, whiskey, salmon and cigars, in retaliation for Trump’s initial round of tariffs.

Last week, China’s Ministry of Finance it would place tariffs on an additional $60 billion of U.S. goods, including coffee, honey and industrial chemicals, if Trump goes through with the threat to place duties on an additional $200 billion in Chinese products.

The ministry accused the Trump administration of damaging the global economy.

More: Trump says 'vicious' China targeting U.S. farmers on trade, urges critics to 'be cool' </s> WASHINGTON — The Latest on President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Chinese goods (all times local):

China plans to impose 25 percent tariffs on roughly $50 billion of U.S. goods in retaliation for the Trump administration’s announcement Friday that it would impose duties of the same amount on $50 billion of Chinese goods, according to a report from the official news agency Xinhua.

The tariffs will come in two steps, beginning with duties on 545 U.S. products worth $34 billion that will be focused on farm goods, cars and seafood, Xinhua said.

A second round of tariffs, to be imposed on an unspecified date, on 114 items worth $16 billion will mostly hit chemicals, medical equipment and energy products.

Trump has threatened to hit China with duties on another $50 billion of goods if it retaliates. China “has noticed the U.S. statement” and “reserves its rights to take corresponding measures,” a government official said, according to Xinhua.

China has quickly released some details on the retaliatory tariffs it plans to impose on U.S. goods. Chinese officials say they will slap duties on 545 U.S. products on July 6, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.

The tariffs will be imposed on farm products, autos and seafood, the Journal report says.

The Chinese Commerce Ministry also says it will impose duties of “the same scale and intensity” in response to the Trump administration’s move to slap tariffs on $50 billion of Chinese goods.

It’s a quick response from the Beijing government to President Donald Trump’s tariff increase on Chinese goods.

The Chinese Commerce Ministry says it will immediately impose penalties of “equal strength” on U.S. products.

The ministry says it’s also scrapping deals to buy more American farm goods and other exports — steps that were intended to help ease a dispute over China’s trade surplus and China’s technology policy.

A ministry statement isn’t giving details, but a $50 billion list of possible targets announced in April included soybeans, light aircraft, orange juice, whiskey and beef.

Trump’s tariffs are in response to complaints that Beijing steals or pressures foreign companies to hand over technology.

President Donald Trump is hailing his “very big tariffs” on China.

Trump is speaking Friday on the North Lawn of the White House, just as his administration just announced a 25 percent tariff on up to $50 billion worth of Chinese imports.

Trump says there is “great brain power” in this country. He adds: “’There is no trade war. They’ve taken so much.”

Trump also defended his trade clash at a recent meeting of the Group of Seven industrialized nations. He again complained that he had been blindsided by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s criticism of his tariff threats at a summit-ending news conference.

The Trump administration is announcing a 25 percent tariff on $50 billion worth of Chinese imports, escalating a trade dispute between the world’s two largest economies.

President Donald Trump has vowed to clamp down on what he calls China’s unfair trade practices. China has said that it will retaliate with $50 billion in tariffs in response, rattling financial markets.

It comes in the aftermath of Trump’s nuclear summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (kim jawng oon) and his push for China to maintain economic pressure on the North.

Trump has already slapped tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada, Mexico, Europe and Japan, drawing a rebuke from U.S. allies.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. </s> China has hit back at Donald Trump's decision to impose tariffs on $50bn (£37bn) worth of its goods by responding in kind as the tit-for-tat trade war heats up.

​The US president yesterday unveiled the 25 per cent tariffs, designed to combat what he says is China's theft of America's intellectual property. The US says it wants to stop the transfer of its products and designs over to Chinese companies.

China’s finance ministry said it would respond with tariffs “of the same scale and strength”. Its own 25 per cent tariffs would cover 659 US products including soybeans, cars and seafood.

The value of the goods has matched the US at $50bn, but the list of affected products was six times larger than the one floated in April.

On veiling the tariffs yesterday, Trump said: "In light of China’s theft of intellectual property and technology and its other unfair trade practices, the US will implement a 25 per cent tariff on $50bn of goods from China that contain industrially significant technologies.

"The United States can no longer tolerate losing our technology and intellectual property through unfair economic practices."

Read more: Trump confirms he will slap tariffs on $50bn worth of Chinese goods </s> China slapped tariffs on up to $3 billion in U.S. exports over the weekend, escalating a trade spat between the world’s two largest economies.

Announced late Sunday, the tariffs will apply to 128 American products that Beijing had previously identified as potential targets for import taxes. The punitive measures went into effect on Monday, the Chinese government said.

Beijing says the tariffs are a response to President Donald Trump’s tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from China and other countries. Last month, Trump invoked a provision of U.S. trade law to place a 25 percent tariff on foreign-made steel and 10 percent on aluminum to protect American “national economic and security.”

Then, on March 22, Trump announced his intention to impose around $60 billion in trade penalties on China for intellectual property theft.

Those sanctions, which are likely to hit Chinese aerospace, technology and machinery industries, will not take effect until after a 30-day public review period, according to the White House.

The Chinese tariffs announced Sunday will apply a 15 percent duty on 120 American products such as fruits, nuts and wine, and 25 percent on eight other products, including pork and recycled aluminum. Beijing expects the retaliatory measures to affect about $3 billion worth of goods, less than one percent of U.S. exports to China.

Since first announcing the metal tariffs last month, the White House has said it will give exceptions to several trading partners, including Canada, Mexico, South Korea and the European Union.

China has accused the Trump administration of violating global trade rules by invoking national security to place tariffs on Chinese goods, but not imports from other countries.

In a statement late Sunday, China’s Ministry of Commerce said that those exemptions “seriously violate” World Trade Organization rules against trade discrimination among member nations.

China’s official news agency, Xinhua, warned that Trump’s plan to impose additional punitive measures are a “self-defeating gamble.”

“Trump’s planned tariffs are not only going to hamper the United States’ economic well-being and continued progress, and burden its people with higher costs of living, but also pose a grave threat to the current global trading system,” Xinhua said, according to CNN.

Chinese trade practices have long been a sore spot for Trump, who has accused Beijing of undermining American producers through intellectual property theft and dumping cheap steel and other products in the U.S. market.

Trump said last month he intends to pressure Beijing to develop a plan that would reduce the U.S. trade deficit with China by $100 billion.

China reported a trade surplus of $275.8 billion with the United States last year — about two-thirds of its global total, according to CNBC.

Using its own metrics, the U.S. government reported a trade gap of $375.2 billion, the largest ever.

A version of this article appeared on The Daily Caller News Foundation website.

What do you think? Scroll down to comment below. </s> WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump's tariffs on Chinese goods (all times local):

China plans to impose 25 percent tariffs on roughly $50 billion of U.S. goods in retaliation for the Trump administration's announcement Friday that it would impose duties of the same amount on $50 billion of Chinese goods, according to a report from the official news agency Xinhua.

The tariffs will come in two steps, beginning with duties on 545 U.S. products worth $34 billion that will be focused on farm goods, cars and seafood, Xinhua said.

A second round of tariffs, to be imposed on an unspecified date, on 114 items worth $16 billion will mostly hit chemicals, medical equipment and energy products.

Trump has threatened to hit China with duties on another $50 billion of goods if it retaliates. China "has noticed the U.S. statement" and "reserves its rights to take corresponding measures," a government official said, according to Xinhua.

China has quickly released some details on the retaliatory tariffs it plans to impose on U.S. goods. Chinese officials say they will slap duties on 545 U.S. products on July 6, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.

The tariffs will be imposed on farm products, autos and seafood, the Journal report says.

The Chinese Commerce Ministry also says it will impose duties of "the same scale and intensity" in response to the Trump administration's move to slap tariffs on $50 billion of Chinese goods.

It's a quick response from the Beijing government to President Donald Trump's tariff increase on Chinese goods.

The Chinese Commerce Ministry says it will immediately impose penalties of "equal strength" on U.S. products.

The ministry says it's also scrapping deals to buy more American farm goods and other exports — steps that were intended to help ease a dispute over China's trade surplus and China's technology policy.

A ministry statement isn't giving details, but a $50 billion list of possible targets announced in April included soybeans, light aircraft, orange juice, whiskey and beef.

Trump's tariffs are in response to complaints that Beijing steals or pressures foreign companies to hand over technology.

President Donald Trump is hailing his "very big tariffs" on China.

Trump is speaking Friday on the North Lawn of the White House, just as his administration just announced a 25 percent tariff on up to $50 billion worth of Chinese imports.

Trump says there is "great brain power" in this country. He adds: "'There is no trade war. They've taken so much."

Trump also defended his trade clash at a recent meeting of the Group of Seven industrialized nations. He again complained that he had been blindsided by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's criticism of his tariff threats at a summit-ending news conference.

The Trump administration is announcing a 25 percent tariff on $50 billion worth of Chinese imports, escalating a trade dispute between the world's two largest economies.

President Donald Trump has vowed to clamp down on what he calls China's unfair trade practices. China has said that it will retaliate with $50 billion in tariffs in response, rattling financial markets.

It comes in the aftermath of Trump's nuclear summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (kim jawng oon) and his push for China to maintain economic pressure on the North.

Trump has already slapped tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada, Mexico, Europe and Japan, drawing a rebuke from U.S. allies.

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
U.S. President Donald Trump imposes tariffs on US$60 billion of Chinese goods, while also limiting China’s ability to invest in the U.S. technology industry.