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Donald Trump said on Thursday that it would impose an additional 10% rate on imports from China and continue with samples in Mexico and Canada from next week, increasing the spectrum of a world trade war.
The president had interrupted his proposed price In Mexico and Canada earlier this month, a few hours before starting, giving the two largest trade partners in the United States by a month-long stay.
But in an article on Truth Social Thursday, Asset wrote: “The proposed prices planned to enter into force on March fourth come into force, as planned.”
The president added that he also planned to hit China with an additional 10% levy on March 4, in addition to 10% of the prices he imposed this month.
Trump said that his “reciprocal” prices scanning plan, unveiled this month and affecting countries and products from around the world, would continue as planned on April 2.
After Trump’s last threat, China’s offshore renminbi weakened 0.3% at RMB7.289 against the dollar. The dollar increased 0.6% against a basket of other major currencies.
Trump’s remarks are the last salvo of the aggressive commercial policy that his administration has continued since his return to the White House in January. They increase the danger of a broader trade war which may inflict significant damage to the world economy.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington criticized the new prices, saying that there was “no winner” in a trade war.
“The unilateral prices imposed by the United States will not solve its own problems, and that will not benefit both parties or the world,” said Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in the United States. “China calls on the United States to correct its misdeeds.”
Later Friday, the Chinese trade ministry said that the country “would take all the countermeasures necessary to defend its legitimate rights and interests”.
The Chinese Public Security Ministry has also published its annual security report, in which it declared that it has tightened “new fentanyl drugs and substances” and imposed export controls on 24 additional pioneering products on “specific countries”.
The new price on China marks an escalation of the 10% levy announced last monthWho was intended to put pressure on Beijing to suppress groups that export chemicals used to make fentanyl, an opioid that was a main death in the United States.
Trump’s comments on Thursday marked an apparent reversal of the remarks he made on Wednesday when he said that samples in Canada and Mexico would take effect on April 2, suggesting a possible delay.
His last push for the prices to take effect on March 4 – the day he should address a joint session of the Congress – is likely to trigger a diplomatic rush to try to stop the measures in the coming days.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his country would respond to any “unjustified rate” with a “strong, immediate and certain response”. He added that Canada would immediately impose samples at $ 30 billion in goods imported from the United States.
On Thursday, a high -level delegation of Mexican officials will go to Washington to meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to discuss security cooperation.
During the last month, Beijing tried to check Whether Trump wishes to negotiate a close trade agreement or a more complete agreement.
Chinese officials and government advisers have informally indicated that Beijing would be willing to buy more American products to reduce the trade deficit between the two countries.
They also said that Chinese companies could invest in the United States to create up to 500,000 jobs, according to people familiar with the issue.
But the two parties had no substantial conference on trade.
The announcement of the additional prices on China occurred the day after the day after the Senate, Jamieson Greer to serve as a representative of American trade. The Chinese Embassy in the United States has been contacted for comments.
Additional report by Christine Murray in Mexico City and Joe Leahy in Beijing
