Trump's "I mean it" moment with China

[DonViejo]

Mike Allen2 hours ago

President Trump's plan to turn threats against China into actual tariffs could turn a trade spat into a trade war, and sources familiar with his thinking say he has no hesitation about potentially disrupting the world economy.

What to watch: Today, Trump "will announce a 25 percent tariff on $50 billion of Chinese products," the WashPost reports. "The tariffs, which Trump set in motion in March, are a response to China’s practice of compulsory technology licensing for foreign companies and its efforts to steal U.S. trade secrets via cybertheft."

The Wall Street Journal adds that the decision follows a 90-minute meeting yesterday "of senior White House officials, national-security officials and ... Treasury, Commerce Department, U.S. Trade Representative’s Office."

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said yesterday that China and the U.S. faced a choice between cooperation and confrontation, per the Journal.

We've told you that Trump's one constant belief over 30 years has been that the U.S. is ripped off on trade and should retaliate against foreign governments.

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