Administration Plans More Tariffs Even as Chinese Retaliate Over 232

Tensions between Washington and Beijing over China’s policies toward U.S. and foreign investment and the multibillion-dollar trade surplus with the United States continued to escalate this week. In retaliation for the Trump administration’s tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum, which took effect March 23, China has imposed tariffs on up to $3 billion in U.S. exports, mostly agricultural products, effective Monday, April 2.

For about 120 items, concessions made earlier by the Chinese have been withdrawn, resulting in a 15 percent tariff on certain U.S. exports, including fresh fruits, dried fruits and nut products, wines, modified ethanol and seamless steel pipes. For eight other items, including aluminum scrap and frozen pork and related products, the retaliatory tariff amounts to 25 percent, reports Washington trade attorney Lewis Leibowitz.