The Trump administration has fired the latest shot in the ongoing trade war with China, highlighting $200 billion worth of items that are eligible for a 10% tariff on products imported from China. Maybe is not surprisingly but the list is massive, spanning 195 pages.
Several product categories overlap with ones that were targeted in the first round of US tariffs on $34 billion worth of goods which went into effect last week. But the new list is impressive in both detail and scope, categorized by an extensive list of sub-indexes which align with World Trade Organization protocols.
To start off with, there’s a list of food and beverage products which runs for about 30 pages. Then there are chemical products, electronics, and a huge list of fabrics. Next, there’re metals and machinery items, before the list rounds out with a range of different furniture and antique products. Here’s a breakdown of the main items within each product category:
Food and beverage items: Seafood, dairy products, wheat and grain, nuts, dried fruits, fruit juices, mineral water, and beer and wine products.
Chemicals: Chemical-based products and concentrates which appear to comprise a vast number of elements in the periodic table.
Electronics: Various domestic electrical appliances, flashlights, lamps, ovens, microwaves, television and radio.
Fabrics: Leather, travel bags, fur products, wool, cotton, synthetic fibres, textiles, woven and knitted products.
Metals and machinery: Precious metals, alloys, iron ore and steel products, copper, nickel, zinc, tin, interchangeable tools, combustion engines, air conditioning units, hyrdolic jacks, cranes and pipes.
Vehicles: Bikes, tractors, trailers, cars, car parts and vessels (boats).
Furniture and antiques: Chairs, seats, couches, mattresses, tables, paintings, original sculptures, and lastly, “antiques of an age exceeding one hundred years”.
