Trump explores additional $100 bn in Chinese imports

United States President Donald Trump has ordered his administration to consider tariffs on an additional 100 billion dollars in Chinese imports escalating the trade tiff between the two countries.

"In light of China's unfair retaliation, I have instructed the USTR to consider whether $100 billion of additional tariffs would be appropriate under section 301 and, if so, to identify the products upon which to impose such tariffs," Xinhua reported President Trump, as saying, in a statement issued by the White House.

Reportedly, China on Thursday formally launched a World Trade Organization (WTO) challenge against Trump's first round of proposed tariffs.

China threatened tariffs of its own on 106 US products, including on soybeans, cars and some airplanes.

China's Ministry of Commerce said that it planned to slap 25 percent levies on a range of U.S. goods worth about USD 50 billion.

That was in response to the release by the U.S. of a list of proposed tariffs a day earlier, covering 50 billion USD in Chinese products.

A statement from China's Ministry of Commerce said that the date of implementing the trade tariffs would depend on when the US would impose the same on the Chinese goods.

None of the tariffs have yet to come into effect.