UPDATE: U.S. Threatens 25% Tariffs on 1,300 Products from China

The U.S. says it intends to impose 25% import tariffs on about 1,300 transport, consumer electronics, technology and medical products from China.

The proposed levies, worth about $50 billion, are intended to force China into easing what the Trump administration describes as unfair intellectual property practices imposed on U.S. companies that do business in China.

The list includes motor vehicles, flat-panel televisions, light-emitting diodes and certain chemicals. Among the excluded items are footwear, clothing, cell phones for Apple and laptop computers produced for Dell.

Reuters, citing U.S. Census Bureau data, estimates that last year the U.S. imported Chinese-made vehicles worth $1.4 billion. Among those models are the Buick Envision small crossover vehicle (pictured), the Cadillac CT6 plug-in hybrid luxury sedan and the Volvo S60 Inscription luxury sedan.

The U.S. announcement prompted China’s commerce ministry less than half a day later to impose tariffs of equal value on such U.S. products as imported cars, planes, beef, chemicals and soybeans.

Reuters says more than 200 products on the target list weren’t imported from China at all last year. The news service adds that some items on the list, such as military artillery weapons, seem unlikely to ever be imported.