U.S. exports to China would likely have been $160 billion to $201 billion greater without the seven-year Trump-Biden trade war.

KEY TAKEAWAYS U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that China's President Xi Jinping was "extremely hard to make a deal with," the latest comment from officials expressing frustration with striking a trade agreement.

President Trump has doubled the rate on foreign metals to 50%, saying the levies weren’t high enough to help the U.S. industry.

The United States is highly reliant on steel imports, bringing in more of the material from abroad than any other country in the world, according to the International Trade Administration. More than 26 million metric tons of steel were imported last year, most of which came from Brazil, Canada, Mexico, South Korea, and China.

President Donald Trump raised levies on US imports of steel and aluminum to 50% from 25% as he ratcheted up his campaign to reshape the country’s trade ties with the rest of the world.