Robert Lighthizer, the US trade representative, said the tariffs would focus on theft of US technologies and said Trump "concluded that we should put in place tariffs on appropriate products" following the investigation. Targeting US$3 billion of US imports, China has drawn a list of 128 US products that could be hit with tariffs if the two countries are unable to reach an agreement on trade issues, the ministry said. The Trump administration will impose about $60 billion in new trade penalties against China, the first targeted trade measures aimed directly at Chinese “economic aggression.”

“We have a tremendous intellectual property theft situation going on,” President Donald Trump said Thursday, revealing that he has spoken with Chinese leadership about this issue and the “out of control” trade deficit.
U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer tells a Senate panel that President Donald Trump has decided to "pause" tariffs on steel and aluminium imports from the European Union, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and South Korea.