Explainer | US-China trade war timeline: key dates and events since July 2018

The US-China trade war began in July 2018, eventually leading to tariffs on some US$550 billion of Chinese goods and US$185 billion of US goods

A phase-one trade deal was signed in January 2020, although relations have not significantly improved under the administration of US President Joe Biden

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The US-China trade war began in July 2018. Photo: Bloomberg

Published: 8:00pm, 29 Aug 2021Updated: 9:50am, 16 May 2022

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The US-China trade war began in July 2018 under the administration of then-US president Donald Trump, eventually leading to tariffs on some US$550 billion of Chinese goods and US$185 billion of US goods.

A phase-one trade deal between the two sides was signed in January 2020, although relations have not significantly improved under the administration of US President Joe Biden.

06/07/2018: US-China trade war begins

US places 25 per cent duties on around US$34 billion of imports from China, including cars, hard disks and aircraft parts. China retaliates by imposing a 25 per cent tariff on 545 goods originating from the US worth US$34 billion, including agricultural products, automobiles and aquatic products.

23/08/2018: US imposes 25 per cent tariffs on a further US$16 billion worth of Chinese goods

Washington imposes 25 per cent tariffs on another US$16 billion of Chinese goods, including iron and steel products, electrical machinery, railway products, instruments and apparatus. China responds by applying 25 per cent tariffs on US$16 billion of US goods, including Harley-Davidson motorcycles, bourbon and orange juice.

24/09/2018: US places tariffs on US$200 billion worth of Chinese imports, China responds

US places 10 per cent taxes on US$200 billion of Chinese imports. China responds by placing customs duties on US$60 billion of US goods.

01/12/2018: Xi, Trump call a truce in the trade war at the G20 summit

Presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump agree to a 90-day trade truce to allow for further talks to address US concerns after China committed to buying a “very substantial” amount of American exports.