Is the trade war between China and the United States the greatest in history?



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The United States on Friday announced the imposition of tariffs of several tens of billions of dollars on many Chinese products, prompting an immediate retaliation from Beijing, which denounced "the country's biggest trade war." economic history ".

Washington's zero hours came into effect punitive tariffs decided by US President Donald Trump, out of a total of $ 34 billion in Chinese imports, including automobiles, hard drives or aircraft components.

and noted that he was "obliged to take the necessary countermeasures" "to defend the fundamental interests of the country and its people," said the Chinese Ministry of Commerce in a statement.

Beijing did not give immediate details of the nature of their measures, although the official Xinhua agency said that they had imposed "customs duties" China also accused Washington to launch "the biggest trade war of economic history" with the imposition of these new tariffs and denounced that "the United States violated the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO ). "

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Friday warned the United States that a trade war" does not benefit anyone. "

" If a country wants to raise its tariffs, China will respond to defend itself. A trade war does not benefit anyone because it undermines free trade and the multilateral process, "Li told reporters in Sofia, where he is attending a summit with 16 EU countries and governments. Balkans

.% To about 818 Chinese products. A second batch of tariffs, worth $ 16 billion and under study by Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer, will take effect soon , said Trump, who spoke of a delay of "two weeks."

A "theft"

In total, there will be $ 50 billion dollars. Chinese imports per year that will be affected by these measures, intended to compensate for what Trump considers the "theft" of intellectual property and technology on the part of China

But Washington could go further. asked Robert Lighthizer "to identify $ 200 billion worth of Chinese goods s

These measures could thus bring to 450 billion dollars the value of the Chinese products taxed, that is the vast majority of the imports to the United States of the Asian giant (505.6 billion in 2017).

The entry into force of these tariffs marks the failure of the months of negotiations between the two largest economies in the world, and comes at a time when important voices of the industry warn against domestic consequences in the United States.

Washington accuses China of being appropriate for vanguard patents, either by forcing US firms to operate in the United States. Chinese market or simply by flight.

Last year, the US trade deficit with China reached nothing less than 372. 200 million dollars, a figure that unleashes Trump's anger.

Nervous Industries

When the entry into force of these new US tariffs was already in the countdown, Thursday, the Federal Reserve (the US central bank warned that a Imminent trade war is a "black cloud in a blue sky" for the local economy.

According to the Fed, uncertainties generated by tariffs and restrictive trade policies can undermine investment and confidence. companies

In this sense, a survey of industrial companies confirmed Thursday that the companies no longer hide their concern for the president's trade war.

The beginning of this war would also confirm the extension of the pit which separates Trump from his party, the Republican, who traditionally defends free trade.

The influential American Chamber of Commerce, the largest body or lobbying of the We have admitted this week that retaliation from China, Canada, Mexico and the European Union, among others, is already affecting $ 75 billion in US exports.

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