Associated Press

President Donald Trump fired off a flurry of tweets defending his trade war with China on Friday morning as tariff increases took effect.

He floated plans for another large-scale farmer-bailout plan that would buy American agricultural products and ship them "to poor & starving countries in the form of humanitarian assistance."

He also argued that protectionism was helping Americans and said there's "no need to rush" a deal with China.

President Donald Trump fired off a flurry of tweets defending his trade war with China on Friday morning as tariff increases took effect, arguing that protectionism was helping Americans and floating plans for another large-scale plan to bail out farmers.

"Tariffs will bring in FAR MORE wealth to our Country than even a phenomenal deal of the traditional kind," he wrote on Twitter. "Also, much easier & quicker to do. Our Farmers will do better, faster, and starving nations can now be helped. Waivers on some products will be granted, or go to new source!"

The Trump administration has already extended at least $12 billion worth of aid to farmers, who have endured financial losses from trade barriers imposed last year. American agricultural exports are expected to fall sharply in 2019, largely because of trade tensions that led Beijing to place retaliatory tariffs on $110 billion worth of products from the US.

In more than half a dozen tweets early Friday, Trump suggested that the government could buy agricultural products and ship them "to poor & starving countries in the form of humanitarian assistance." The White House did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment.

The president said funding for the suggested $15 billion worth of agricultural purchases would come from tariff collections at the Treasury Department. While Trump repeatedly asserts that foreign exporters bear the brunt of his trade policies, there is a strong consensus among economists that American consumers and businesses end up paying for tariffs.

The US and China had been thought to be close to reaching a deal to deescalate the trade war. But that framework began to fray over the weekend, with the US accusing China of making reversals on central commitments in a draft trade agreement. Chinese officials have denied such actions.

Early Friday, the Trump administration more than doubled the tariff rate on a tranche of Chinese goods in a punitive measure, with Beijing vowing to take countermeasures. About $250 billion worth of shipments from China faces a 25% import tax following the adjustment.

Trump has in recent days swung between expressing optimism toward a deal and defending the possibility of a prolonged dispute. He said Thursday that Chinese President Xi Jinping had written him a "very beautiful" letter and that the two leaders would "probably" speak by phone.

Yet Trump asserted that Americans were better off during a trade war early Friday and doubled down on plans to place new tariffs on the $325 billion worth of US imports from China that hadn't been hit. He also appeared to delete a tweet saying there was "no need to rush" trade talks with China that were set to resume Friday in Washington, only to make a similar statement moments later.

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