The US has launched national security probes that could lead to tariffs on chips and pharmaceutical goods, paving the way for a potential sharp escalation of the trade war.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly said he planned to apply steep levies to both sectors, and US officials said over the weekend that consumer electronic goods could be caught up in the chips investigation.
The probes come despite a series of tariff U-turns in recent days, including Trump’s decision last week to pause steep “reciprocal” levies against many countries, as well as announcing at the weekend a temporary carve-out for consumer electronics that will help tech companies reliant on Chinese imports.