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 announced on Wednesday that it would impose 25 per cent tariffs on imports of 279 items from China amounting to USD 16 billion.

This is the second tranche of such tariffs and comes into effect on August 23.

Washington had already imposed tariffs on USD 34 billion on July 6 but held off on a final USD 16 billion in goods as a result of concerns from US companies.

This is part of the US' response to China's "unfair trade practices" related to the forced transfer of American technology and intellectual property, the US Trade Representative (USTR) said.

After coming to power, the has initiated steps to address the issue of massive balance of trade with China and to the alleged Chinese theft of intellectual property.

In March 2018, the USTR had released the findings of its "exhaustive" Section 301 investigation that found China's acts, policies and practices related to technology transfer, intellectual property, and innovation are "unreasonable and discriminatory and burden US commerce".

The investigation had revealed that China uses joint venture requirements, foreign investment restrictions, and administrative review and licensing processes to require or pressure technology transfer from US companies and it deprives US companies of the ability to set market-based terms in licensing and other technology-related negotiations.

It also found that China directs and unfairly facilitates the systematic investment in, and acquisition of, US companies and assets to generate large-scale technology transfer.

ALSO READ: Here's how the trade war between US and China can actually benefit India

The USTR claimed that China conducts and supports cyber intrusions into US commercial computer networks to gain unauthorized access to commercially valuable business information.

The world's two biggest economies are locked in a trade dispute.

But there seems no solution at sight as the prepares for tariffs of up to 25 per cent on an additional USD 200 billion in Chinese products. </s> (REUTERS) – The United States said on Tuesday that it still holds the threat of imposing tariffs on $50 billion of imports from China and will use it unless Beijing addresses the issue of theft of American intellectual property.

Washington will also press ahead with restrictions on investment by Chinese companies in the United States as well as export controls for goods exported to China, the statement from the White House said.

Details of the investment and export controls will be announced by June 30 and the final tariff list will be published by June 15. </s> US to impose tariffs on additional Chinese goods amid trade war

Washington DC, Aug 7 (EFE).- The United States government announced Tuesday that it will impose 25 percent duties on an additional $16 billion in Chinese imports from Aug. 23, marking the second time Washington has slapped extra tariffs on Beijing.



The US Department of Commerce published the new tariff list targeting 279 Chinese imports, ranging from chemical and petroleum products to automobile industries.



This will add to the package that the US government announced in June, which came into force partially at the beginning of July, and will hit $50 billion in goods in total.



In the first round of tariffs, the US targeted a total of 1,300 Chinese goods, from advanced manufacturing and aerospace to information technology and robotics, and imposed 25 percent tariffs on $34 billion in Chinese imports, the Department of Commerce said in statements.



The US government justifies this measure on the grounds of its investigation into Chinese business practices, in which the authorities said Beijing has allegedly committed a series of irregularities.



Among those alleged irregularities are intellectual property violations against US companies, the acquisition of local companies with an aim of getting their technology, and Chinese government cyberattacks against US government computer networks.



With this new round of tariffs, President Donald Trump’s administration goes one step further in its trade war with the Asian giant.



Tensions in US-China trade relations have soared in recent months.



The US struck the first blow by announcing hefty tariffs against imports from China, to which Beijing responded immediately with identical retaliatory measures. </s> 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> BEIJING (dpa-AFX) - The United States will announce investment restrictions and enhanced export controls on Chinese persons and entities related to the acquisition of industrially significant technology on June 30.



In a statement Tuesday, the White House said the United States will continue to pursue litigation at the World Trade Organization for violations of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights based on China's discriminatory practices for licensing intellectual property. 



The U.S. Trade Representative last month had decided to impose 25 percent tariff on 1300 products imported from China, including those related to the 'Made in China 2025' program, to prevent U.S. intellectual property theft and forced transfers of technology.



China hit back by saying it plans to impose the same tariff on 106 U.S. products worth $50 billion, including aircraft, cars, chemicals, and soybeans.



But after high-level bilateral trade talks, both sides agreed to put on hold the proposed tariff hike on each other's imports, pledging not to engage in a trade war. 



However, in the latest communique, the White House made it clear that the final list of covered imports would be announced by June 15, and tariffs would be imposed on those goods shortly thereafter.



'In addition, the United States will continue efforts to protect domestic technology and intellectual property, stop noneconomic transfers of industrially significant technology and intellectual property to China, and enhance access to the Chinese market.' 



The United States will request that China remove all of its many trade barriers, including non-monetary trade barriers, which make it both difficult and unfair to do business there.



The US will also request that tariffs and taxes between the two countries be reciprocal in nature and value.



The White House announced that discussions with China will continue on these topics.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX </s> BEIJING: China will impose additional 25 per cent tariffs on 659 US goods worth US$50 billion in response to the US announcement that it will levy tariffs on Chinese imports, the Chinese commerce ministry said.



Tariffs on US$34 billion of US goods including agricultural products such as soybeans will take effect from Jul 6, the ministry said. Soybeans are China's biggest import from the United States by value.

The tariffs will also be applied to autos and aquatic products, the ministry said.

The list of 659 US goods was longer than a preliminary list of 106 goods published by the commerce ministry in April, although the value of products affected remained unchanged at US$50 billion.

Aircraft, included in the earlier Chinese list, were not on the revised list.

The effective date of the tariffs on the remaining US$16 billion of US goods will be announced later, according to the commerce ministry. Among the affected US$16 billion in US goods include crude oil, natural gas, coal and some refined oil products.

US President Donald Trump announced on Friday 25 per cent tariffs on US$50 billion of Chinese imports, in a move that looks set to ignite a trade war between the world's two largest economies.

Trump said the tariffs would be imposed on a list of strategically important imports from China. He also vowed further measures if Beijing struck back.

"The US has ignored China's resolute opposition and solemn representation, and has insisted on adopting behaviors that violate WTO rules," China's commerce ministry said.

"This is a violation of the legitimate rights and interests that China is entitled to according to WTO rules, and is a threat to China's economic interest and security." </s> China imposes retaliatory tariffs on $50 billion worth of US products

Shanghai, China, Jun 16 (EFE).- China said on Saturday it will impose new import tariffs on about $50 billion worth of products from the United States, in response to the latest announcement by the US imposing new tariffs on goods from China,



The Chinese State Council decided to impose 25 percent additional tariffs on 659 US products, including vehicles and agricultural products, two of the most sensitive sectors for the US.



The announcement made in a statement released by the Customs Commission that came a few hours after US President Donald Trump announced that his administration was imposing a 25 percent tariff on $50 billion worth of goods from China that contained “industrially significant technologies.”



China’s Commerce Ministry announced late Friday that, although it did not want to have a trade war with the United States, it would respond to new tariffs announced by Washington in a forceful and immediate manner.



Tariffs on 545 items worth about $34 billion, including agricultural products and vehicles, will be implemented beginning Jul. 6



Tariffs on the remaining 114 items, covering chemical products, medical equipment and energy products, will become effective at a date to be announced later.



The decision was made in line with the relevant stipulations of the Foreign Trade Law of China and the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Import and Export Duties, as well as the fundamental principles of international law, according to the statement.



“The US move violates the relevant rules of the World Trade Organization, goes against the consensus already reached in bilateral economic and trade consultations, seriously infringes upon the legitimate rights and interests of the Chinese side and undermines the interests of China and its people,” the statement by the Customs Tariff Commission read.



Speaking to the state-owned Xinhua news agency, an official in charge of the Office of the Customs Tariff Commission said that the additional tariffs targeting Chinese goods, once imposed, would “substantially change” the trade conditions of these goods, and affect relevant producers and trade companies. </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.
The United States imposes a 25% tariff on goods imported from China worth $50 billion, set to come into effect on July 6, and accuses Beijing of "intellectual copyright theft".