China places tariffs on 128 US food imports

China has retaliated against US tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminium imports, setting levies of as high as 25% on 128 US-amde products.

The new trade measures, which came into force on Monday, included increased tariffs on pork and wine.

China imposed 15% tariffs on 120 products including wine, nuts, pistachios, oranges, grapes, watermelons, mangos and steel rods. In 2017, China imported $1bn-worth of such products.

The Asian country also implemented a 25% levy on pork meat and aluminium, of which it purchased $2bn-worth last year.

In total, the latest decision from Beijing will hit $3bn-worth of US imports.

The Asian giant said the new measures were a legitimate response aimed at protecting China’s best trading interests and enjoyed the supported of "a large number of people”.

China also urged the US to resolve these issues through negotiation and dialogue.

For its part, the Trump administration was expected to release the list of Chinese imports targeted by Washington's new tariffs this week. The list was expected to target "largely high-technology" products and to take effect in two months' time.