The Chinese government on Friday revealed plans to levy duties of 25, 20, 10 and five percent on American products worth up to 60 billion dollars unless Washington withholds its sanctions on up to 200 billion dollars worth of Chinese goods.
“In violation of the bilateral consensus reached after multiple rounds of negotiations, the United States has again unilaterally escalated trade frictions,” China’s State Council Tariff Commission said in a statement.
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders in a statement suggested China to “address the longstanding concerns about its unfair trading practices,” instead of retaliating with their own sanctions.
The two countries engage in the trade of goods and services to the tune in excess of 650 billion dollars each year, the highest of any two countries in the world.
The sanctions levied by China will affect nearly 38 percent of all American goods, amounting to 170 billion dollars.