China-US Trade Tension Escalate

Donald Trump has followed through on his promise to wield the United States's vast economic weight to hit back at China for its alleged unfair trade practices and role in America's deadly fentanyl crisis.

On Saturday the President said that Chinese exports to the United States would be subject to an additional 10 percent tariff in addition to the various rates of duties they already face.

According to the Peterson Institute of International Economics (PIIE), China is the dominant supplier of goods from electronics and electrical machinery to textiles and clothing.

But a yawning trade imbalance -- $270.4 billion for January to November last year -- has long raised hackles in Washington.

China hit back on Sunday, saying it "firmly opposes" the move and would take "corresponding countermeasures to resolutely safeguard" its interests.