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In response to the Trump administration’s tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, China has initiated tariffs against American against American food products. China placed tariffs of up to 25% on 128 kinds of products from the U.S. The FT’s Tom Hancock reports:
The highest additional tariffs of 25 per cent will be imposed on top of existing duties on imports of US scrap aluminium and various kinds of frozen pork, the statement said. An additional 15 per cent tariff will apply to dozens of US foods including fresh and dried fruits such as cherries, nuts such as almonds and pistachios, and wine and various kinds of rolled steel bars.
The list was consistent with measures proposed by Beijing last month when it said it was planning tariffs on $3bn of US imports. The response was seen as relatively measured because it left out key US exports to China such as soyabeans, of which the US exported about $14bn last year.
The new duties are specifically in retaliation for steel and aluminium tariffs announced by the Trump administration early in March, not for the 25 per cent levy on up to $60bn of annual imports from China that President Donald Trump promised later last month. That leaves open the prospect that Beijing could make a tougher response in the future.
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