After a trade war during the first Trump administration, China had been preparing for another in a second term and has not moved to rush into negotiations after being hit with tariffs.

China has exempted some U.S. imports from its 125% tariffs and is asking firms to identify critical goods they need levy-free, according to businesses notified, in the clearest sign yet of Beijing's concerns about the trade war's economic fallout.

Multiple carriers of petroleum-based gases traveling from the US to China have begun diverting to other countries due to the intensifying trade war between the world’s two largest economies.