China imposes 84pc tariffs on US goods

KABUL (Pajhwok): In response to President Donald Trump’s latest levies, China has announced an 84 percent tariff on imports from the United States.

China’s finance ministry ramped up tariffs from 34% after Trump’s 104% tariff on Chinese goods came into force on Wednesday. The duties were later hiked to 125%.

The BBC quoted the US president as saying the 21% increase was “based on the lack of respect” China had shown. He added the hike would take effect immediately.

The enhanced tariffs would take effect from Thursday (today), China said, asking other countries to unite against Trump’s tariffs.

In an editorial, the state-run China Daily said: “Global unity can triumph over trade tyranny.” The daily noted China’s collaborations with Japan, South Korea and other Asian economies.

In a U-turn, Trump later announced a three-month pause on higher tariffs for dozens of countries -barring China. Those nations had not retaliated in any way against the United States, he said.

Chinese blogger Liu Hong, who is a senior editor at Xinhua news agency, suggested Beijing could ban Hollywood films and suspend fentanyl cooperation with the US.

PAN Monitor/mud