#TariffsPause

US tariff pause: Trump tries to unite the world against China, calm stock markets

Was it about isolating China or calming the markets? Or both?

Whatever the case, President Donald Trump stunned the world with his abrupt decision to escalate the trade war against America's biggest rival and postpone the high tariffs imposed on allies. 

And Chinese President he insisted, would come to the negotiating table.

In swift retribution against China's decision to match in kind the tariffs imposed by the US, Trump announced on April 9 that China's tariff rate had been increased to a total of 125 per cent.

At the same time, he issued a 90-day pause in the implementation of reciprocal tariffs that had been applied on trade partners with which the US has trade deficits, including important allies in Asia like Japan and South Korea.