*By Alisha Haridasani*
Chinese officials accused the U.S. of plunging the countries with the world's two largest economies into a trade war Friday and said they'd retaliate immediately after President Donald Trump announced tariffs on Chinese exports.
The U.S. will levy a 25 percent tax on $50 billion of Chinese exports for “theft of intellectual property and technology and its other unfair trade practices,” the president said in a statement. “The United States will pursue additional tariffs if China engages in retaliatory measures.”
China, however, wasn’t deterred by the threat, promising to hit back in equal measure.
Major U.S. indices opened down on the news, with the Dow Jones tumbling nearly 300 points in early trade.
Trump decided to impose tariffs, which were initially announced in March, despite months of negotiations between the two countries. The White House has often flip flopped from tough rhetoric to declaring the trade spat [“on hold”](https://cheddar.com/videos/markets-rally-as-u-s-china-trade-war-cools). The administration even offered to save Chinese electronics company ZTE from the brink of collapse.
This round of tariffs comes on the heels of Trump’s decision to tax steel and aluminum imports coming in from the European Union, Canada, and Mexico. At the G7 summit in Canada last week, the president further antagonized U.S. allies by refusing to sign a joint statement on shared economic goals.
Business research group The Conference Board said that its consumer confidence index increased two months in a row.
Grant Buckholt, financial adviser with Northwestern Mutual, joined Cheddar News to discuss what exactly a holiday bonus entails and provided tips on how to budget it.
New car sales in the U.S. are forecasted to grow next year.
Many of us will look to chart a path to tackling finances as the New Year arrives. Jamila Souffrant, author of "Your Journey to Financial Freedom," joined Cheddar News to discuss steps on what to take if you're looking to take control of your life for financial freedom.
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There are reports that Warner Brothers Discovery and Paramount have held talks to join forces. Cheddar News breaks it down to discuss what this could mean for the media landscape and for viewers.
Thursday kicks off the busiest holiday travel period of the year.
SiriusXM is facing a new lawsuit for allegedly trapping customers into subscription plans.
IKEA says it expects shipping delays and other product availability issues due to ongoing attacks by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea.
There are multiple reports that talks are underway for a potential merger of Warner Brothers Discovery and Paramount Global.
