The Trump administration officially began imposing 25 percent tariffs on an additional $16 billion in Chinese goods Thursday, bringing the total amount of items facing such levies at $50 billion.
The administration is also planning on adding $200 billion more in goods to that list, as President Trump escalates trade negotiations with China. Administration officials are meeting with China counterparts this week to work toward a deal.
[Related: ‘Point of no return’ draws closer in U.S.-China trade standoff]
The White House first proposed the $16 billion round of in tariffs in June, arguing they were needed to counter predatory trade practices by China, from restrictive licensing process to coercing foreign investors to hand over technology, and formally implemented them Thursday.
The U.S. has also imposed tariffs of 25 percent on steel imports and 10 percent on aluminum ones, policies primarily directed at China. Beijing has responded by placing tariffs of between 5 to 25 percent on $60 billion worth of U.S goods.
Administration officials have conceded they do not except the tariffs to have immediate effect, with officials from Trump on down saying they expect a prolonged trade fight. “I’m like them; I have a long horizon,” Trump told Reuters this week.
