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Markets Alert to Trade War Started by the U.S.

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Markets opened today on the alert to the impact of the trade war started by U.S. President Donald Trump, which now involves China in the foreground.
 
After months of threats and attempts to avoid this outcome between the biggest powers of the planet, Washington's rise in tariffs against Chinese products will be enacted as of midnight tonight.
 
China announced immediate measures against U.S. goods with penalties rising up to a total 450 billion dollars.
 
The global escalade of trade disputes by Trump already affected the economy, with enacted tariffs for steel and aluminum imported from its main trading partners, such as the European Union and Canada.
 
Also, the White House threatens with imposing higher tariffs on automotive imports.
 
Prices are rising, especially those of steel and aluminum, while U.S. enterprises already show their reluctance to invest or plan to move their production out of the country, to prevent reprisals against exports from the United States. Initially, Trump threatened China with imposing tariffs of 25 percent to goods for 50 billion dollars a year, which Washington considers a theft of U.S. technology.
 
But the list was reduced to a lower amount of products for over 34 billion dollars, after U.S. companies demanded exemptions for key imports.
 
Another issue that puts salt and pepper to this war is Trump's critic to the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and his demand to this organization to cut prices of the fuel.
 
Trump's statement had a marked influenced the drop of fuel prices on Thursday, when it was expected that commodity markets would reach a longed for stability. / PL