WASHINGTON _ President Donald Trump's trade office announced Tuesday that many new tariffs on $300 billion of Chinese imports would be delayed until Dec. 15, backing down from Trump's threat to apply the 10% penalty on Sept. 1.
Many U.S. retailers and other businesses had complained that the new tariffs would make household products more expensive for American consumers.
The U.S. trade representative said the new 10% tariffs _ part of a sharp escalation in Trump's trade war with China _ would take effect as planned on Sept. 1. Many items, however, including cellphones, laptops, video game consoles, and certain shoes and clothes, would not be hit with the new duties until mid-December, he said.
Shortly after the announcement, Trump criticized China, claiming it has not lived up to the promises it has made during trade talks. "As usual, China said they were going to be buying 'big' from our great American Farmers. So far they have not done what they said. Maybe this will be different!," Trump tweeted.
