Trump "should" announce new tariffs in China on Monday



[ad_1]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – US President Donald Trump is expected to announce new tariffs on Chinese imports of about $ 200 billion on Monday, a senior government official told Reuters on Saturday.

The price will probably be around 10%, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the subject. This figure is lower than the 25% envisaged by the administration for this possible series of tariffs.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Upcoming rates will be on a $ 200 billion list of Internet technology products and other electronic devices, circuit boards and consumer goods, seafood, furniture, lighting products, tires, products chemical, baby seats. It was unclear whether the administration would exempt any of the products on the list, which was announced in July.

On Friday, White House spokeswoman Lindsay Walters said Trump "has made it clear that he and his administration will continue to take action against China's unfair trade practices.

Trump had already asked his staff to proceed with the tariffs, despite attempts by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to revive trade negotiations with China.

An observer in the business sector said the administration may have reduced its expected tariff level after hearing public comments, hoping companies would not immediately raise prices for consumer goods. Nevertheless, the additional tariffs may complicate trade negotiations with China expected later this month.

Trump called on China to reduce its $ 375 billion trade surplus with the United States, put an end to policies to acquire US technology and intellectual property, and reduce high-tech industrial subsidies.

This week, the world's two largest economies appeared to be making progress on trade. The Treasury has invited senior Chinese officials, including Deputy Prime Minister Liu He, to participate in other talks.

The administration has already collected duties on $ 50 billion worth of Chinese products following a study of China's intellectual property practices, published earlier this year.

On September 7, Trump warned that it had new tariffs on Chinese imports of $ 267 billion, in addition to those targeted this week. If all tariffs were invoked, total imports from China subject to tariffs would exceed $ 505 billion in goods that the United States imported from China last year.

According to US Census Bureau data, imports from China to July increased by almost 9% over the same period in 2017.

(Report by David Shepardson and David Morgan, edited by Chizu Nomiyama and David Gregorio)

[ad_2]
Source link