AP Photo/Andrew Harnik

The Trump administration reportedly doubled down on threats to significantly expand the trade war with China on Friday.

US officials told their Chinese counterparts that steep tariffs would be slapped on all remaining Chinese imports if a trade deal wasn't reached within three to four weeks, according to Bloomberg.

The most recent round of negotiations underscores a high level of uncertainty around the timeline and enforceability of a potential deal that would end the trade war, which has lasted more than a year.

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Trade negotiations between Washington and Beijing appeared to end with neither a deal nor a breakdown on Friday, casting another layer of uncertainty on the world's largest economies as further escalations loomed.

While recently renewed tensions failed to upend negotiations, the Trump administration doubled down on threats to significantly expand the trade war.

US officials told their Chinese counterparts that steep tariffs would be slapped on all remaining Chinese imports if a trade deal wasn't reached within three to four weeks, according to Bloomberg. President Donald Trump said earlier this week that the US had begun preparing those tariffs, which would raise the import prices of roughly $325 billion worth of products.

"The relationship between President Xi and myself remains a very strong one, and conversations into the future will continue," Trump said in a tweet after trade talks wrapped up. "In the meantime, the United States has imposed Tariffs on China, which may or may not be removed depending on what happens with respect to future negotiations!"

Just hours before Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer met with Vice Premier Liu He in Washington, the US had increased the tariff rate on $200 billion worth of Chinese products in a move meant to penalize Beijing for making reversals on past trade commitments.

That escalation came as a surprise to many American businesses and consumers who had thought an agreement might be reached this week. Brian Keare, the field chief information officer at Incorta, said it left companies with 72 hours notice on large-scale shipping decisions.

"Thousands of US companies are affected, and some had millions of dollars on the line," said Keare, who advises companies like Broadcom, Starbucks, and Apple. "You literally had to make split-second decisions about your logistics and supply chain if you wanted to make sound financial decisions."

The most recent round of negotiations underscores a high level of uncertainty around the timeline and enforceability of a potential deal that would end the trade war, which has lasted more than a year.

"I do think it will be a challenge for China to give in to the US demands in the current atmosphere, as China will not want to look weak on the world stage," said Simon Lester, a trade-policy analyst at the libertarian Cato Institute.

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