Trump's China tariffs to up Bible price, upsets religious groups

Washington DC: The trade war that Donald Trump has initiated with China by imposing massive tariffs on the Chinese products has upset one of his core support bases, the influential church community, that fears the US President's import duties would increase the cost of the Bible in America.

The US and China have been locked in a bruising trade war since Trump imposed heavy tariffs on imported steel and aluminium items from China in March last year, a move that sparked fears of a global trade war.

Trump has already imposed 25 per cent tariffs on USD 250 billion in Chinese imports and China has retaliated with tariffs on US goods.

In response, China imposed tit-for-tat tariffs on billions of dollars worth of American imports.

The church community is up in arm against President Trump as his import duties on Chinese products will increase in the United States the cost of the holy Bible, which is significantly imported from China.

According to Congressman Josh Harder, more than half of the Bibles produced in the world originate from

China.

"The recently proposed tariffs on an additional USD 300 billion in Chinese goods, including printed materials, could have significant negative effects on our religious groups, churches, schools, ministries, and nonprofit organisations," Harder said.

"More than half of the Bibles printed in the world originate in China due to the unique paper and technologies required," he said.