Trump announces higher US tariffs on China goods
Donald Trump
US President Donald Trump raised pressure on China over trade negotiations on Sunday by saying US tariffs on certain Chinese products will increase to 25per cent on Friday and that more Chinese goods will face additional tariffs.
Trump had previously delayed the tariff increases earlier in the year, citing productive talks with China.
Sunday's announcement casts into doubt previous expectations that China and the United States were closing in on a deal to end a months-long trade war that has slowed global growth and disrupted markets.
"For 10 months, China has been paying Tariffs to the USA of 25% on 50 Billion Dollars of High Tech, and 10% on 200 Billion Dollars of other goods," Trump wrote on Twitter.
"The 10% will go up to 25% on Friday. 325 Billions Dollars of additional goods sent to us by China remain untaxed, but will be shortly, at a rate of 25%," he added.
US-China trade talks are due to resume this week, with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He due to travel to Washington. That follows talks in April in Beijing that Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin called "productive."
As recently as Friday, Trump said talks with China was going well.
Last week, industry sources said they believed the talks were in the endgame, and Mnuchin had said he hoped that the U.S. negotiating team would soon be able to recommend a deal to Trump or tell him that one could not be reached.
The administration has been insisting on a mechanism to ensure that China follows through on any promises to purchase more American goods.
Administration officials have said both sides are expected to launch new enforcement staffs to police the agreement.