Trump threatens new tariffs – China’s penalty taxes doubled

Important trading partners affected

Trump threatens new tariffs – China’s penalty taxes doubled

US President Trump does politics with customs threats. Now he is targeting agricultural imports – and doubles China’s penalty taxes.

US President Donald Trump ordered by decree to double the import duties ordered in February to goods from China. The penalty taxes would increase from 10 percent to 20 percent, it was said in a correspondingly adapted arrangement that the White House published. The text does not show when the new tariffs should come into force. In a press conference, Trump had previously said that the increase would apply from Tuesday. The Republican justified the measure by the fact that the drug made in China would continue to be smuggled into the United States.

The US government had imposed tariffs of 10 percent on all goods from China in early February-in addition to tariffs that the United States had previously imposed. Beijing reacted with counter -tariffs of 15 percent to coal and liquefied natural gas from the USA. An additional custom of 10 percent was imposed for oil and agricultural machines from the United States.

China has already threatened countermeasures. The two largest economies threaten to head for a new trade war, such as in 2018, when Trump also triggered a conflict with the imposition of tariffs during his first term.

Trump also promised tariffs for all agricultural imports. As the date for the new tariffs, he announced on his online language tube Truth Social April 2. “To the great farmers of the United States: Get ready to produce a lot of agricultural products that are to be sold within the United States,” he wrote. “From April 2, tariffs will be raised on external products. Have fun!”

It was open whether the tariffs should apply to imports from all countries worldwide – or whether there will be exceptions for certain trading partners. Trump regularly uses customs threats as a negotiation tactic to force concessions. The Republican had announced various tariffs in recent weeks – but some of them were suspended again.

Trump, in early February, was only a few hours before the penalty tariffs of 25 percent on goods from Mexico and Canada, which were threatened to come into force, to the neighbors’ concessions, especially when it comes to border security. For this he pushed the trade restrictions on for at least 30 days. However, tariffs for goods from China were imposed.

For mutual tariffs on goods from various countries, he also called the date April 2nd in the past. Already on Tuesday, the tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico, which have been announced for a long time. The two countries are the most important trading partners in the United States.