On Tuesday, after President Donald Trump imposed a 10% tariff on $200 billion in Chinese goods being imported into the United States, China’s Finance Ministry announced that they would retaliate with a tariff on $60 billion in American goods being imported into China.
President Trump stated on Twitter, that even though China had imposed the tariffs only after the United States imposed tariffs on Chinese goods, he believed China imposed the tariffs on American goods to influence the midterm elections in the United States. President Trump added, that even though the tariffs were hurting the sale of goods by American farmers, he believed they would continue to support the tariffs because they know that “China has been taking advantage of the United States on Trade for many years.”
China has openly stated that they are actively trying to impact and change our election by attacking our farmers, ranchers and industrial workers because of their loyalty to me. What China does not understand is that these people are great patriots and fully understand that…..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 18, 2018
…..China has been taking advantage of the United States on Trade for many years. They also know that I am the one that knows how to stop it. There will be great and fast economic retaliation against China if our farmers, ranchers and/or industrial workers are targeted!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 18, 2018
China’s Finance Ministry stated the tariffs were imposed to fight against “unilateralism and protectionism of the United States.” The Finance Ministry stated that it was seeking to enter a “pragmatic dialogue” with the United States to “jointly safeguard the principle of free trade and the multilateral trading system”.
The existing tariffs have already caused financial harm to American farmers. In July, President Trump authorized up to $12 in emergency aid to farmers to compensate for the loss of sales from the lack of trade in American goods due to the tariffs.
The photograph in the header was taken by a photographer for the Associated Press.