US President Donald Trump, who has put China on backfoot by an aggressive policy of imposing additional tariffs on their imports, has said that he thinks America is going to make a trade deal with Beijing.
Having imposed additional import duties of Chinese products worth $250 billion, Trump said he can add another $275 billion.
“We’re in a little dispute with China. We put $250 billion worth of tariffs on China at 25 per cent. And I think we’re going to make a deal,” Trump told his supporters at a ‘Make America Great Again’ rally in Illinois.
The US goes to mid-term polls on November 6.
“You know, look, if we do good and if we don’t, that’s OK, but we have a tremendous — and we can put another $257 billion dollars’ worth of tariffs on China. I have a feeling that everything’s going to work out. They want to make a deal. I said, you’re not ready yet. You’re not ready yet,” said the US President.
Trump said trade imbalance with China has been averaging $500 billion for many years.
“And I told President Xi (jinping), who I like a lot, he’s the president of China, strong, smart. I said, I don’t blame you. I was giving a speech in China, and I was ranting and raving about how China has been ripping off the country.
“And then I realised I was in China. This wasn’t playing too well. And I looked at President Xi. He was looking up, what the hell is this all about?,” Trump said amidst laughter.
“And I looked at him, I said, but I don’t blame you. And he felt better. But he wanted to know why. I said, I don’t blame you, because our leaders were missing in action. They should have never let it happen,” he said.
The President alleged that his predecessors have allowed trade imbalance with other countries to occur.
“The Republican agenda is America’s agenda. Republicans want to lower your taxes, they want less regulation, they want fair trade deals. Oh, am I making you good, fair trade deals. I’m not making you fair trade deals. I’m making you unfair trade deals in our favour,” he said.
America, he said, has been ripped off by a lot of countries.
