With the trade talks at an impasse since Friday, Trump signed an order that was prepared months ago. Although officials would not attribute the timing to any specific factor, its release came amid an intensifying standoff between Washington and Beijing and immediately added a new level of friction. Already, the two have engaged in escalating rounds of tit-for-tat tariffs that could damage the world’s two largest economies.

Source: Los Angeles Times May 15, 2019 20:51 UTC