Trump targets China as US businesses await backlash

WASHINGTON – Farmers, electronics retailers and other U.S. businesses are bracing for a backlash as President Donald Trump targets China for stealing American technology or pressuring U.S. companies to hand it over.

The administration is expected Thursday to slap trade sanctions on China, perhaps including restrictions on Chinese investment and tariffs on billions of dollars’ worth of Chinese products. Trump is set to sign a memorandum on the issue.

The announcement will mark the end of a seven-month U.S. investigation into the hardball tactics China has used to challenge U.S. supremacy in technology. One tactic had hackers stealing commercial secrets, and another demanded that U.S. companies hand over trade secrets in exchange for access to the Chinese market.

The administration argues that years of negotiations with China have failed to produce results.