China will raise tariff rates on 5,140 tariff lines of U.S. goods in response to the latest escalation in the trade war, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced May 13. It is not increasing tariffs on the U.S. imports that have not yet been part of retaliation. Instead, it is increasing the previously imposed punitive tariffs from 10 percent to 20 or 25 percent, and increasing other tariffs from 5 percent to 10 percent.
China will still send a delegation to meet with U.S. negotiators on a possible deal to resolve trade issues between the two countries, despite an announcement by President Donald Trump on May 5 to increase Section 301 tariffs against the country, according to a Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman. Trump tweeted that the U.S. will increase the current 10 percent tariff on $200 billion in goods to 25 percent on May 10, and may impose additional Section 301 tariffs on over $300 billion in Chinese exports.
Correction: A national security memorandum regarding U.S. policy on conventional arms transfers that mandated enhanced trade promotion and regulatory simplification was issued April 19, 2018.
The European Union has assembled a list of approximately $20 billion worth of imports from the U.S. that could face higher tariffs if a World Trade Organization arbitrator rules that the EU is entitled to that much compensation due to trade-distorting subsidies for Boeing's aircraft manufacturing.
The European Union and the United Kingdom have agreed to an extension until Oct. 31 of the U.K.’s planned withdrawal from the EU, said European Council President Donald Tusk on twitter. Under the “flexible” six-month extension, the U.K. could still ratify the extension agreement, at which point the extension would be “terminated,” or even revoke Article 50 altogether and remain in the EU, Tusk said at a press conference following discussions among European leaders April 10 in Brussels. The extension includes plans for an “assessment” by the European Council in June, but European leaders will at that point only be “taking stock” of the situation. It won’t be a negotiating session, said European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker at the press conference. “June is not a cliff edge,” Tusk said.
China will continue to suspend tariffs on U.S.-made cars and auto parts past April 1, according to a notice from China’s Ministry of Finance. In December, China originally announced it was suspending additional 25 percent tariffs on U.S. vehicles and parts as a show of good faith as the two countries negotiated a trade deal. The tariff suspension was scheduled to end April 1, but China announced on March 31 that the country would be upholding the suspension to “create a good atmosphere for economic and trade consultations between the two sides,” according to an unofficial translation of the announcement. The Ministry of Finance said it will announce at a later date when the extension will expire.
The European Union will offer the United Kingdom a Brexit delay of until May 22 if the U.K. Parliament passes the twice rejected EU-U.K. transition deal next week, or until April 12 if the deal is not passed, according to a statement from EU Council President Donald Tusk. Even if the transition deal doesn’t make it through Parliament, the UK will still “have a choice of a deal, no-deal, a long extension” or deciding not to leave the UK, Tusk said. But if the U.K. doesn’t inform the EU that it plans to hold European Parliament elections by April 12, “the option of a long extension will automatically become impossible,” Tusk said. European leaders met March 21 in Brussels to decide whether to offer the U.K. an extension on its withdrawal from the European Union, currently scheduled for March 30.