Trump Orders Raising Tariffs on ’All Remaining’ Imports From China

By Staff, Agencies

US President Donald Trump ordered the US Trade Representative [USTR] Robert Lighthizer to start the process of raising tariffs of all remaining imports from China valued at $300 billion. According to the USTR, more details will be available next week.

Trump earlier ordered tariffs to be raised on all remaining US imports from China, which are valued at around $300 billion. China said it was forced to retaliate against the US pressure. However, the US president has hinted that the tariffs may be removed depending on the results of the trade talks.

Robert Lighthizer said in a statement on Friday the details on the process for a public notice and comment period for the tariffs will be published shortly in the Federal Register.

Earlier on Friday, a fresh round of US trade tariffs took effect with an increase in duties on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods from 10 percent to 25 percent.

Trump said that the latest tariffs, which went into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, would produce "massive payments" that would go directly to the US Treasury Department.

Earlier on Friday, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer met with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He for the second day of trade negotiations. Mnuchin said the talks were constructive but declined to provide any more details.

The two sides have been trying to overcome disagreements that emerged in the wake of Trump’s decision last June to impose 25 percent tariffs on $50 billion worth of Chinese goods in a bid to fix the US-Chinese trade deficit. Since then, the sides have exchanged several rounds of trade duties.