China’s commerce ministry has said that China and the European Union have agreed to restart negotiations on electric-vehicle tariffs, coming hot on the heels of Trump’s announcement of more tariffs.

In a background call before Trump's speech, a senior White House official told reporters that the president would impose a "baseline" tariff on all imports to the US. That rate is set at 10% and will go into effect on 5 April.

China has vowed to hit back against President Donald Trump’s “typical bullying” with unspecified countermeasures, while the European Union said it was already working on its response, as allies and adversaries alike reeled Thursday from his “Liberation Day” tariffs blitz.