• US-China, Trump confirms new import duties
  • Lunge of China, Trump replies: he again strongly re-launches the war of duties
  • China responds to Trump: new duties on 75 billion dollars of US imports, including cars
  • Hong Kong: China media, 'use of force is an option' but Tiananmen will not be repeated

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01 September 2019The new American duties came into force this morning at 15% on about 112 billion dollars of Chinese products. On Friday the US president, Donald Trump, had ruled out any further postponement. The new duties will affect a range of goods, from food products to sports equipment to musical instruments.

Trump goes straight
The American president Donald Trump until the end confirmed the entry into force of the measure against Beijing. These are duties at 15% on billions of dollars on imports of Made in China products. Despite the signals of détente launched by both sides, the US president told reporters before leaving for Camp David that from Sunday new tariffs will be issued on about 112 billion dollars of goods imported from China.

Other duties on arrival
"Many companies have left China and many others are leaving," Trump said. The United States is planning to impose new 15% duties on Chinese products worth 300 billion dollars. The first round starts in September, the next one in December, he specified. China, for its part, in recent days had announced its intention to impose customs duties for an additional value of 75 billion dollars on US goods imported into the country.

The weight of Hong Kong
The head of the White House assured that the commercial stalemate with the Chinese authorities contributed to easing the tension between Beijing and Hong Kong. "Without trade negotiations, Hong Kong would be in much greater difficulty," Trump said. "My commercial action really makes it possible to alleviate fever" in Hong Kong, he added. The president of the United States has asked Beijing to act "with humanity" after the arrest of several activists for democratic reforms and the prohibition of a major demonstration on Saturday in the former British colony.