Trade war: China hits back at US with new tariffs
Beijing, Aug 8 : China on Wednesday announced that it will slap additional 25 per cent tariff on $16 billion worth of US products in retaliation to Washington's latest round of duties, escalating the trade battle between the two countries.
The 25 per cent tariffs will come into effect on August 23 and target 333 US products including coal, bicycles, trucks, vehicle engines and chemicals, the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council said.
The move came after US President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced similar tariffs on China, affecting imports such as electronic parts, plastics, chemicals, batteries and railway cars.
In a statement, the Chinese Commerce Ministry said that the US once again put domestic law above international law by imposing "very unreasonable" new tariffs on Chinese goods. Beijing will implement the tariff measure with the US simultaneously, the ministry said.
The tariffs mark the latest round in a protracted trade battle between Trump and China, with tens of billions of dollars in tariffs against Beijing already in effect.
China has hit back with retaliatory tariffs, many of which targeted agricultural industries in states in the midwest that overwhelming went for Trump in 2016.
The Department of Agriculture earlier announced a $12 billion aid plan to help farmers affected by Chinese tariffs, despite criticism from lawmakers in both parties.
Trump also imposed steep tariffs on imported steel and aluminum from Canada, Mexico and the EU. Businesses in the US complained that the tariffs were forcing them to raise prices and eliminate jobs.
Earlier, Trump asserted that the measures were "working big time", and again vowed to imposed tariffs against countries that doesn't want to "make or build" products in the US.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
