When Donald Trump started the biggest trade war since the 1930s in his first term, his impulsive combination of threats and import taxes on U.S. trading partners created chaos, generated drama -- and drew criticism from mainstream economists who favor free trade.

China's tariffs - due to begin next Monday - would also apply to US oil and farm machinery, but more talks are due this week.

After promising during his election campaign to put import taxes back at the center of US economic policy during his second term as president, President Donald Trump has taken steps in that direction.

Mexico and Canada get reprieves but tariffs on China go ahead, prompting retaliation.

The past 48 hours of tariff policies have stunned markets and boardrooms across the world.

While arriving in Maryland from Florida, Trump told the BBC that tariffs on EU goods imported into the US could happen "pretty soon". "They don't take our cars, they don't take our farm products, they take almost nothing and we take everything from them.