U.S. following through on plan to tax $50B in Chinese goods

May 29 (UPI) -- The White House doubled down Tuesday on its plan to impose tariffs against billions of dollars worth of Chinese imports, saying it will release a list of the affected products by June.

In a statement Tuesday, President Donald Trump's administration said the U.S. will take steps against China's "certain discriminatory and burdensome trade practices" -- including a 25 percent tariff on Chinese imports "containing industrially significant technology."

The list of goods subject to the tariff will be complete by June 15.

The Trump administration previously announced a list of Chinese products affected by the tariff primarily focused on electronics, aerospace and machinery products.

The White House said Tuesday the tax will affect goods worth $50 billion and include products related to the Made in China 2025 program, a 2015 initiative promoting the country's information technology, robotics, aerospace, marine, rail, auto, power, agriculture and bio-medical industries.

The White House said it will also implement "specific investment restrictions and enhanced export controls" for Chinese individuals and entities related to technology in the coming weeks.

Officials said they will also continue to pursue litigation against China at the World Trade Organization.

"Discussions with China will continue on these topics, and the United States looks forward to resolving long-standing structural issues and expanding our exports by eliminating China's severe import restrictions," the White House said.

Trump ordered the tariffs in March in response to what he called "tremendous intellectual property theft" by China, identified in a Section 301 trade investigation launched last summer.

China later retaliated by levying tariffs against U.S. exports.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Defense banned all smartphones and mobile modems from Chinese manufacturers ZTE and Huawei on all U.S. military bases worldwide.

U.S. sanctions were imposed against ZTE after it violated restrictions against Iran and North Korea, and then made "false statements" about its compliance, officials said. The sanctions effectively shut the company down.

Trump has vowed to help ZTE and the U.S. Commerce Department told lawmakers last week it had reached a deal to put the Chinese company back in business -- a move lawmakers in both parties say is a national security risk.

Two executives from ZTE have been sidelined by the company amid ongoing negotiations between the Beijing and Washington.