President calls for levies on $50 billion of Chinese imports Dow drops more than 700 points, biggest plunge in six weeks President Donald Trump took the biggest economic gamble of his presidency, ordering tariffs on Chinese goods in a move that could escalate already tense trade relations between the world’s two biggest economies. Stocks plunged, led by Boeing Co. The president instructed U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to levy tariffs on at least $50 billion in Chinese imports. Trump signed an executive memo issuing the instructions on Thursday at the White House. Within 15 days, USTR will come up with a proposed list of products that will face higher tariffs. The prospect of a trade war sent markets plummeting, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 724 points, almost 3 percent, its biggest drop in six weeks. Shares in Boeing dropped more than 5 percent. The U.S. will impose […]