Economy

China Prepares to Retaliate Against Trump’s Tariffs

Written by SK Ashby

We may not know exactly which imports the Trump regime wants to impose tariffs on until next month, but China has already unveiled several specific targets they will impose their own tariffs on if Trump goes through with it.

China has its eyes set on the agricultural industry for reasons that make a lot of sense.

From Bloomberg:

The world’s biggest pork producer, consumer and importer is planning a 25 percent tax on U.S. pork imports, the Ministry of Commerce said in a statement on Friday. The tariffs would be in addition to current duties. [...]

The National Pork Producers Council warned that possible Chinese tariffs on U.S. pork could have a significant negative impact on rural America. “No one wins in these tit-for-tat trade disputes, least of all the farmers and the consumers,” it said in a statement.

In addition to American pork, China is also considering tariffs on American soybeans and wine, among other things.

Trump owes a great deal of his public support to farm states that produce most of America's pork and soybeans. China is aware of this and they're going to use it against him.

While I'm sure the average GOP voter will blame Democrats or whoever else for their misfortune, farmers and the greater agricultural industry are not quite so stupid because their business depends on trade. The overwhelming majority of American industries have opposed all of Trump recent decisions, the agricultural industry most of all.

Considering that the Trumps haven't spelled out what they intend to target, and given that China already has a list, I'd say it's evident that China is more prepared for this than Trump is. I'm sure it helps that Chinese officials actually have some idea of what they're doing.