Trump has announced plans for tariffs on China, Canada and Mexico since taking office, but many other countries worldwide are also bracing for similar measures. It was Trump's latest trade threat against China, the world's second-largest economy after the US, and Washington's biggest geopolitical rival, according to Al Jazeera TV channel.

The president postponed what appeared to be a looming clash on trade and expressed a willingness to talk business, but he remains critical of Beijing.