China under pressure to retaliate as US tariffs hit harder and faster than expected

President Trump walked into the Rose Garden and detonated the most aggressive trade shock the market's seen in decades

Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management said

This won’t necessarily be limited to tariff increases. It could also include measures to make life more difficult for US companies that depend on the China market,

Olson said

It will definitely slow the (parcel screening) process and exporters will probably see their packages being stopped at the border for investigation for a very long time,

said Guo

Rerouting Chinese exports may fail in countries like Vietnam, where exports were previously rerouted in part, and are (now) also being hit hard,

said Josef Gregory Mahoney, professor of politics and international relations at East China Normal University

I do think that in these circumstances, the best way for Beijing to react is to do some retaliation and boost the economy,

said Guo Shan, partner and research economist at Hutong Research, who also noted

Given how high tariffs already are, virtually every industry will be impacted, but those already struggling with negative profit growth recently will bear the brunt,

said EIU’s Su, who said

These tariffs make a deal quite difficult because any exchange right now will be seen as a political compromise from Beijing’s side,

she said

Given the high level of tariffs aimed at the mainland and Taiwan, as well as other East Asian, Southeast Asian and South Asian economies, Beijing sees this as a broad strategic opening to improve ties and further integrate Asian economies,

he said