Trump Announces More Tariffs to Retaliate China's Retaliation

U.S. President Donald Trump has announced plans to impose an additional US$100 billion in trade tariffs against China, in retaliation for China's "unfair retaliation."

After the Trump administration earlier announced it would impose US$50 billion worth in tariffs against Chinese imports, China retaliated with an equal amount of US$50 billion against U.S. products, mostly agricultural.

Trump's latest proposal to impose an additional US$100 billion is in retaliation for China's supposedly "unfair" tit-for-tat retaliation.

In a White House statement released Thursday evening, Trump said: "China has chosen to harm our farmers and manufacturers. In light of China's unfair retaliation, I have instructed the USTR to consider whether US$100 billion of additional tariffs would be appropriate under section 301."

China has called the Trump administration's initial imposition of tariffs a flagrant violation of the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and has filed a lawsuit against the United States through that organization.

China's state-run Global Times newspaper said on Wednesday: "China has shown a great deal of restraint for now, but if the United States persists in this trade war, China is ready to fight to the end.

"Washington will eventually see what they have lost, thanks to their actions, and it will only serve to embarrass the United States. This trade war will serve as a good example to the United States that it cannot use intimidating trade tariffs as a form of diplomacy."