(Reuters) - A trade adviser to Donald Trump has said the U.S. president is ready to escalate the ongoing trade war with China if a trade deal is not agreed soon, the South China Morning Post reported on Thursday.

"Does the president have options to escalate the trade war? Yes, the tariffs can be raised higher. These are low level tariffs that could go to 50 percent or 100 percent," Michael Pillsbury, an outside trade adviser to Trump, said in an interview cited by SCMP bit.ly/2NoNmff.