Trump Tells Lighthizer to Ready Tariffs on All Chinese Goods

President Donald Trump has told his administration to move begin the process of raising tariffs on all the remaining imports from China.

In a statement issued Friday night, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said the president had instructed him to ready the next round of tariffs. These would apply to the approximately $300 billion of Chinese goods not now subject to a 25 percent tariff.

“Earlier today, at the direction of the President, the United States increased the level of tariffs from 10 percent to 25 percent on approximately $200 billion worth of Chinese imports,” Lighthizer said. “The President also ordered us to begin the process of raising tariffs on essentially all remaining imports from China, which are valued at approximately $300 billion.”

Lighthizer said the process for public notice and comment would be published shortly and details would be available on the USTR website Monday.

Lighthizer said that this was not a final determination to move ahead with the tariffs. Rather he said the administration had begun “the process prior to a final decision on these tariffs.”