Washington/Beijing, May 10
The United States escalated a tariff war with China on Friday by hiking levies on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods amid last-ditch talks to rescue a trade deal, as US President Donald Trump signaled that talks could drag on beyond this week.
In a series of early morning tweets on Friday, Trump defended his decision to raise tariffs, saying there was no need to rush into a deal and adding that the American economy would be boosted more by the levies than by an eventual deal.
But even as Beijing threatened retaliation, negotiators agreed to stay at the table in Washington for a second day, keeping alive hopes of an agreement that would remove a major threat to the global economy.
Trump, who has adopted protectionist policies as part of his “America First” agenda, issued orders for the tariff increase, saying China “broke the deal” by reneging on earlier commitments made during months of negotiations.China’s Commerce Ministry said it would take countermeasures, without elaborating.
Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin talked for 90 minutes on Thursday and were expected to resume efforts on Friday to rescue a deal that could end a 10-month trade war between the world’s two largest economies.
The Commerce Ministry said negotiations were continuing, and that it “hopes the United States can meet China halfway, make joint efforts, and resolve the issue through cooperation and consultation.”
With negotiations in progress, US Customs and Border Protection imposed a 25 per cent duty on more than 5,700 categories of products leaving China after 12:01 am on Friday. Seaborne cargoes shipped from China before midnight were not subject to the new tax as long as they arrived in the US prior to June 1.— Agencies
US Prez: Was very close to a deal
- The US and China were getting “very close” to a deal but Beijing began renegotiations, President Donald Trump has said.
- The Commerce Ministry said negotiations were continuing, and that it “hopes the United States can meet China halfway, make joint efforts, and resolve the issue through cooperation and consultation.”
from The Tribune http://bit.ly/2LKVTJw
via Today’s News Headlines
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