CHINA/TARIFFS/TRADE WAR/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump on Monday [10-1-18] dimmed the prospects of restarting talks with China any time soon to resolve an escalating trade dispute between the two nations. Speaking in the Rose Garden at the White House, Trump said it was ‘too early to talk’ with his counterparts in Beijing on trade. He did not specify what it might take to kick-start a conversation…Last month, the Trump administration escalated the trade rift by slapping an additional 10% tariff on $200 billion in Chinese goods. The levy will increase to 25% at the end of the year. The additional tariffs are on top of penalties enacted earlier this year on $50 billion worth of Chinese goods. Taken together, it means roughly half of the products that China sells to the United States each year will be hit by American tariffs…He warned if the two sides were unable to reach an agreement, further tariffs would be imposed. Trump has previously threatened to launch a third round of tariffs on $267 billion in goods on China. US Ambassador Robert Lighthizer told reporters Monday that securing a deal with Canada and Mexico should send a signal to China that the president is willing to strike a deal, as long as it’s a good one.”
–Donna Borak and Kevin Liptak, “President Trump says it is ‘too early’ for trade talks with China to restart,” CNN Politics, CNN.com, October 1, 2018 6:59 pm