US pauses higher tariffs for most countries but hits China hard

President Donald Trump has announced a 90-day pause for countries hit by higher US tariffs but a trade war with China has escalated.

In a dramatic change of policy, just hours after levies against roughly 60 of America's trading partners kicked in, Trump said he was authorising a universal "lowered reciprocal tariff of 10 percent" as negotiations continued.

At the same time, he increased tariffs on goods from China to 125 percent, accusing Beijing of a "lack of respect" after it retaliated by saying it would impose tariffs of 84 percent on US imports.

This comes a week after Trump announced import taxes on all goods entering the US in the biggest upheaval of international trade in decades.

Source: BBC