Trump said in a statement he had asked the U.S. trade representative to identify the Chinese products to be subject to the new tariffs. He said the move would be in retaliation for China's decision to raise tariffs on $50 billion in U.S. goods.
"After the legal process is complete, these tariffs will go into effect if China refuses to change its practices, and also if it insists on going forward with the new tariffs that it has recently announced," Trump said.
The Trump administration said Friday that it will impose a 25% tariff on $50 billion of Chinese exports. China, claiming the United States had "launched a trade war," retaliated almost immediately, outlining its own tariffs on US goods worth $50 billion.
The Trump tariffs, which the US government says are punishment for intellectual property theft, will be enacted in two waves, according to . More than 800 exports, about $34 billion worth, will be subject to tariffs starting July 6. Another 280 or so still need to undergo a public comment period, and will take effect later.
