Imposes 25% tariffs on $50 billion of Chinese goods, igniting trade war

Trump announced the imposition of 25% tariffs on $50 billion worth of Chinese goods containing 'industrially significant technologies,' citing theft of intellectual property. The move marked a major escalation in trade tensions, with China immediately promising retaliation. Trump declared 'trade wars are good, and easy to win,' a statement that would be tested by years of tit-for-tat tariffs that hurt American farmers and consumers while failing to significantly reduce the trade deficit.

“Trade wars are good, and easy to win.” — Tweet from March 2018, referenced during implementation