China targets US soybeans, cars, planes with new 25 per cent tariffs, but leaves room for negotiation
Beijing outlines list of goods in 106 categories, of which it imported US$50 billion worth in 2017, but final details of punitive plan yet to be released
Beijing wasted little time in firing back at Washington’s latest trade action by unveiling plans to slap additional 25 per cent of tariffs on a range of goods it imports from the US, including soybeans, cars and planes, as the world’s two largest economies edge ever closer towards an all-out trade war.
The latest list covers 106 categories of products, US$50 billion worth of which were imported by China in 2017, although the authorities said on Wednesday that a finalised version of it, and the dates on which the tariffs will come into effect will be released later.
Among the other products subject to the new duties are beef, corn, wheat, cigarettes and chemical products.
Following the announcement of its retaliatory measures, Beijing said it had also filed a request for consultation on the United States’ tariff plans with the World Trade Organisation.
China’s response came just hours after the United States Trade Representative Office released details of goods imported from China worth about US$50 billion that it planned to hit with 25 per cent tariffs, with the emphasis on industrial and hi-tech goods.