US President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that the United States will raise tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods - a blunt warning to Beijing just days before what is being billed as a last-ditch round of talks to reach a deal or resume their trade war.
To press China even more to accept US demands, Trump also threatened again to slap tariffs on all Chinese imports to the US - worth $539.5 billion last year.
The next round of talks with a major Chinese delegation is scheduled to start on Wednesday in Washington.
Trump said he is raising some tariffs because the trade talks are going "too slowly."
Trump tweeted that, for 10 months, China has been paying tariffs to the USA of 25 per cent on $50 billion of high tech, and 10 per cent on $200 billion of other goods. He said the 10 per cent would go up to 25 per cent on Friday.
The two sides have imposed tariffs on $360 billion in two-way trade since last year. But Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping agreed to a truce in December to refrain from further escalation.
The announcement marks a major shift in tone from Trump, who has cited good progress in the talks and praised his relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Any sign of an escalation in the months-long trade war is almost sure to roil financial markets, which have reacted sensitively to developments in the talks between the world's two largest economies.
Xi Jinping. Source: AAP
Trump's announcement comes ahead of another round of talks between US and Chinese officials in Washington scheduled for this week.
White House officials were unaware on Sunday afternoon whether the tweet would affect those talks. The Chinese delegation could decide not to come because of what is likely to be seen as an escalation by the president.
Trump's move is a reversal of his decision in February not to increase tariffs from 10 per cent to 25 per cent on $200 billion of goods, thanks to progress in the trade talks. That increase will now go into effect on Friday, Trump said in a tweet.
The president also said he would target another $325 billion of Chinese goods with 25 per cent tariffs "shortly" and he suggested that the measures were not leading to price increases for American consumers.
"The Tariffs paid to the USA have had little impact on product cost, mostly borne by China. The Trade Deal with China continues, but too slowly, as they attempt to renegotiate. No!" Trump said.
Tariffs on Chinese goods are paid to the United States by the companies importing the goods; most of those companies are U.S.-based.
The announcement casts doubt on expectations that China and the United States were closing in on a deal to end a trade war that has slowed global growth and disrupted markets.
Chinese Vice Premier Liu He was due to travel to Washington for talks this week after a round last week in Beijing that Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin called "productive."
As recently as Friday, Trump said talks with China were going well.
White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow told Fox News that the president's tweet was a warning to the Chinese.
"The president is, I think, issuing a warning here, that, you know, we bent over backwards earlier, we suspended the 25 per cent tariff to 10 and then we've left it there. That may not be forever if the talks don't work out," he said.
But Michael Pillsbury, an informal trade adviser to Trump and the director for Chinese strategy at the Hudson Institute, said Kudlow's remarks downplayed the president's intent.
"I take the president's tweet at face value. I was disappointed that Larry Kudlow downgraded it to a mere warning, which may tend to undermine American credibility as the Chinese delegation prepares its position" ahead of this week's scheduled talks, he said.
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