China says US abuses tariffs to start trade wars; India hits back at Trump

The European Union this week triggered the first phase of retaliation against the US over its metal-import tariffs imposed on national-security grounds

The global trade war deepened Thursday with China reiterating it will hit back if the latest tariff threats from Donald Trump materialise, while India followed the European Union in slapping retaliatory levies on US goods.

China is "fully prepared" to respond to any new list of US tariffs, according to a commerce ministry spokesman, who said the nation will use a combination of quantitative and qualitative measures. Trump on Monday evening ordered up identification of $200 billion in Chinese imports for additional tariffs of 10 per cent -- with another $200 billion after that if Beijing retaliates.

India raised tariffs