Trump doubles down on trade spat with China
WASHINGTON - AFP
US President Donald Trump barreled through warnings of a damaging trade war with China on April 5, vowing an additional $100 billion in tit-for-tat tariffs on Beijing.
Having already asked for $50 billion worth of Chinese goods to be punitively taxed, Trump responded to Beijing’s countermeasures by doubling down.
“Rather than remedy its misconduct, China has chosen to harm our farmers and manufacturers,” Trump said in a defiant statement.
“In light of China’s unfair retaliation,” Trump said he had instructed trade officials to “consider whether $100 billion of additional tariffs would be appropriate.”
Trump said he was still open to talks, but only if they were aimed at achieving “free, fair, and reciprocal trade.”
China appeals to WTO
China on April 5 formally launched a World Trade Organization (WTO) challenge against Trump’s first round of proposed tariffs.
In the text released by the WTO, China’s delegation requested “consultations” with Washington “concerning the proposed tariffs (and) measures that the United States accords to certain goods in various sectors including machinery, electronics, etc. originating in China.”
A “request for consultations” is the first step in a full-blown legal challenge at the WTO’s Dispute Settlement Body.
Beijing has also unveiled plans for painful import duties targeting politically-sensitive US exports, including soybeans, aircraft and autos.
None of the tariffs have yet to come into effect, but the world’s two largest economies are in a game that could make the global economy collateral damage.
The prospect of a trade war has sent markets around the world on a rollercoaster ride, with traders seemingly unable to decide if the threat is real or bluster.
As news of Trump’s latest threat percolated, stock futures trading pointed to the Dow Jones Industrial Average opening over 400 points down.
Another chapter in the spat
This spat - ostensibly for Beijing’s alleged theft of intellectual property and technology - is just one front in the ongoing trade tussle.
Trump has also threatened to impose steep tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, which would include China.
China responded with proposed tariffs on fresh fruit, pork and recycled aluminum, accounted for $3 billion of US exports in 2017.
The United States has dominated the global economy for much of the last century, but this fight comes as China, with its population of 1.4 billion, is starting to challenge US hegemony.
And Beijing has the economic equivalent of a nuclear weapon, holding more than one trillion dollars’ worth of US debt.
Offloading just a portion of that debt could spook bond markets and send America’s cost of borrowing soaring.
Trump repeatedly said during his election campaign that he would get tough with Beijing, but Thursday’s announcement was greeted with barely concealed horror, even among his own Republican Party.
“Hopefully the President is just blowing off steam again but, if he’s even half-serious, this is nuts,” said Republican Senator Ben Sasse.
“China is guilty of many things, but the President has no actual plan to win right now. He’s threatening to light American agriculture on fire.”
“Let’s absolutely take on Chinese bad behavior, but with a plan that punishes them instead of us. This is the dumbest possible way to do this.”