WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Friday he didn’t instantly want to contemplate retaliatory tariffs on international locations similar to China for getting Russian oil however might need to “in two or three weeks.”
Trump has threatened sanctions on Moscow and secondary sanctions on international locations that purchase its oil if no strikes are made to finish the warfare in Ukraine. China and India are the highest two consumers of Russian oil.
The president final week imposed a further 25% tariff on Indian items, citing its continued imports of Russian oil.
Nonetheless, Trump has not taken related motion towards China.
He was requested by Fox Information’ Sean Hannity if he was now contemplating such motion towards Beijing after he and Russian President Vladimir Putin failed to supply an settlement to resolve or pause Moscow’s warfare in Ukraine.
“Nicely, due to what occurred as we speak, I feel I haven’t got to consider that,” Trump stated after his summit with Putin in Alaska.
“Now, I could have to consider it in two weeks or three weeks or one thing, however we do not have to consider that proper now. I feel, you recognize, the assembly went very effectively.”
Chinese language President Xi Jinping’s slowing economic system will undergo if Trump follows by on a promise to ramp up Russia-related sanctions and tariffs.
Xi and Trump are engaged on a commerce deal that might decrease tensions – and import taxes – between the world’s two largest economies. However China may very well be the largest remaining goal, exterior of Russia, if Trump ramps up punitive measures.
(Reporting by Costas Pitas, Jasper Ward Jarrett Renshaw and Trevor Hunnicutt; Enhancing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and William Mallard)