US-China trade war: tariffs kick in

Chinese state media accuses Trump of acting like a ‘hoodlum’ as steep trade levies come into effect

US tariffs
(Image credit: STR/AFP/Getty Images)

US President Donald Trump’s controversial trade tariffs on Chinese goods have come into effect, signalling the start of a trade war between the two largest economies in the world.

The 25% levy, worth a total of $34bn (£25.7bn), kicked in at midnight Washington time. China has retaliated by imposing a similar 25% tariff on 545 US products, also worth a total of around $34bn.

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