US Proposes Tariffs on 1,300 Chinese Products

The Trump administration is recommending 25% tariffs on $50 billion in Chinese imports to protest Beijing's alleged theft of American technology. The Office of the US Trade Representative has issued a list targeting 1,300 Chinese products, including industrial robots and telecommunications equipment. But the proposed tariffs wouldn't take effect before a public comment period ends May 11, the AP reports. The move is the latest in a series of aggressive actions the administration has taken to combat what it calls unfair trade practices by China and other countries. American businesses worry that the administration's moves will draw painful retaliatory sanctions.

The Chinese embassy in Washington says it "strongly condemns" the Trump administration's planned tariffs. In a statement, the embassy says the proposal "serves neither China's interest, not the US interest, even less the interest of the global economy." And it hinted that Beijing would retaliate with trade sanctions of its own: "As the Chinese saying goes, it is only polite to reciprocate." The embassy said China would seek relief from the World Trade Organization and "take corresponding measures of equal scale and strength against US products in accordance with Chinese law." (More tariffs stories.)