Trump says he would impose additional tariffs on China

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he would impose additional tariffs on China if he did not reach a trade deal with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

"I would do additional tariffs, very substantial additional tariffs, if that doesn't work, if we don't make a deal," Trump said in an interview with Fox Business Network.

He left open the possibility that the two leaders could make a deal to avert further tariffs at the G20 summit in Japan this weekend.

China and the United States have been embroiled in trade tensions marked by tit-for-tat tariffs but talks between the two countries broke down in May. Trump said in the interview China knows what the United States needs to have for a trade deal to go through.

Trump said if Washington was unable to reach a trade deal with Beijing, his plan was to reduce business with China. Asked about companies relocating production from China to Vietnam, he said Vietnam treated the United States even worse than China.