The United States will impose additional tariffs on Chinese goods from April 9, bringing the total tariff to 104 percent. This was announced by the White House, specifying that the new rates will come into effect at 12:01 p.m. Eastern Time (04:01 GMT)
Last week, US President Donald Trump announced an increase in tariffs to 54 percent, adding that in the event of retaliatory actions from China, the tariff could be increased by another 50 percent, bringing the final rate to the current level. In response, Beijing announced mirror measures - from April 10, a 34 percent tax on American products will be introduced, and the Chinese authorities said that they do not intend to abandon retaliatory measures
Industry experts warn: new trade restrictions could trigger a sharp decline in container traffic between the United States and China. Particularly vulnerable will be large container ships with a capacity of 24,000 TEU or more – built with a view to a stable trade flow, often with borrowed funds. A possible reduction in demand could lead to a glut of the fleet and even bankruptcy of some shipping companies, especially those that invested in the construction of ships on credit.
