Source: POLITICO'S MORNING AGRICULTURE, 7/11/18

Things may get worse before they get better. On Tuesday evening, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative said it was ready to tack on 10 percent tariffs to another $200 billion worth of Chinese imports, Pro Trade's Doug Palmer and Adam Behsudi write.

Follow along if you can: Administration officials said the proposed action is in retaliation for China's tariffs on $34 billion of U.S. goods, which in turn was in retaliation for U.S tariffs on $34 billion of Chinese products, which itself was imposed after an investigation concluded the U.S. was losing about about $50 billion annually through the theft of intellectual property by Chinese companies and practices that force U.S. companies to turn over valuable technology.

Pinching pocketbooks: If approved, Chinese goods that will face new tariffs include seafood, produce chemicals and personal care items, such as shampoo and soap. In essence, tariffs amount to a tax on consumers, as most suppliers pass along the added costs
On the flip side, China last week responded to the initial U.S. tariffs by tacking on 25 percent duties on $34 billion of American imports - many of them agricultural products such as soybeans, cotton, rice, sorghum, beef, pork, dairy, nuts and produce.

No talks on talking: Administration officials said no dates have been set for future talks with China to de-escalate tensions, but they indicated they remain willing to engage.