The Trump administration plans to announce within days new tariffs on as much as $200 billion in Chinese goods, further pressuring Beijing before high-level, U.S.-China talks set for later this month, say people familiar with the matter.

President Trump’s decision—to go into effect within weeks—is designed to give the U.S. more leverage in discussions with China over allegations that Beijing coerces American firms into handing over valuable technology to Chinese partners. But the decision’s timing risks deepening the already bitter trade fight by starting another tit-for-tat round of tariffs.

The administration plans to start with tariffs of around 10% on as much as $200 billion of goods, below the 25% level announced in early August. The level was lowered following extensive public hearings and the submission of written comments where importers and others complained of the possible impact of the duties—and to try to reduce the bite on American consumers ahead of the year-end holiday shopping season, these people said.

The tariffs would take effect weeks before November elections, where Mr. Trump’s Republican party is struggling to retain control of Congress. Business groups opposed to the tariffs are spending heavily to make the tariffs an issue in the campaign. The new tariffs are all but certain to be met immediately by Chinese retaliation against U.S. exporters, especially against farmers, further raising the political heat on the GOP ahead of the vote.

But the people familiar said that the tariff level could be raised back to 25% if Mr. Trump concludes that Beijing doesn’t soon show signs that it is acceding to U.S. demands to change its economic policies.