Donald Trump has threatened to impose “massive” US tariffs on China, accusing Beijing of “very hostile” moves to restrict exports of rare earths needed for American industry.
Wall Street fell sharply after the US president reignited public tensions with the Chinese government, and raised the prospect of another trade war between the world’s two largest economies.
“I never thought it would come to this but perhaps, as with all things, the time has come,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social website, claiming: “Ultimately, though potentially painful, it will be a very good thing, in the end, for the U.S.A.
“One of the Policies that we are calculating at this moment is a massive increase of Tariffs on Chinese products coming into the United States of America. There are many other countermeasures that are, likewise, under serious consideration.”
A planned meeting between Trump and Xi Jinping in South Korea later this month may no longer happen, Trump suggested, saying “there seems to be no reason” to meet with the Chinese president.
More details soon …