Tariffs may be just the start of U.S.-China disputes in a second Trump term
After President-elect Donald Trump takes the oath of office next month, U.S.-China relations are poised to be one of the greatest foreign policy challenges for the new administration.
WASHINGTON — After President-elect Donald Trump takes the oath of office next year, U.S.-China relations are poised to be one of the greatest foreign policy challenges for the new administration.
In recent years, the relationship between the world’s two dominant superpowers has been fraught, with lawmakers across the political spectrum adopting a tougher stance on Beijing. What direction that relationship takes now, experts say, will depend on the extent to which Trump follows through on his vow to slap China with steep tariffs — as well as how strongly he is influenced by advisers who think the U.S. should confront China on far more than trade.
Trump already rattled global markets this week by saying he would begin his term in office with a 10% tariff on Chinese goods, in addition to higher tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico. During the campaign, he floated imposing tariffs of at least 60% on China, which some economists have warned could lead to higher prices for American consumers.
Steep tariffs could “undoubtedly terrify investors and have a massive impact on the stock market,” said Josh Kurlantzick, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.
Tariffs may also set off another “trade war” with China, mirroring Trump’s first term when Washington and Beijing imposed a series of retaliatory tariffs on each other, experts said.
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