President Trump escalates the current Sino-American trade war by imposing 25% tariffs on $200 billion Chinese imports. These tariffs encompass chemical products, steel-and-aluminum goods, and other consumer goods from pet food and furniture to car tires, bicycles, baseball gloves, and beauty products. Commerce Secretary Willbur Ross points out that these non-cataclysmic tariffs amount to less than 1% of China's real GDP economic growth. In response, China prepares to retaliate by introducing 5%-25% tariffs on about $60 billion U.S. exports.

China's chief diplomat suggests that any U.S. unilateral threat or blackmail will only intensify Sino-U.S. trade conflicts with severe damage to the economic interests of all parties. Among other trade tools, the Trump administration now applies tariffs and duties to push China to abandon unfair practices in order to reach a new trade deal. The Trump team aims to balance its desire to force the Xi administration back to the negotiating table with joint efforts to avoid escalation in the current Sino-U.S. trade war. U.S. trade reps urge China to address the longstanding U.S. Trade Act Section 301 concerns about Chinese unfair practices such as patent, copyright, and trademark infringement and other intellectual property theft.