Reuters Containers are seen at the Yangshan Deep Water Port in Shanghai, China.The U.S. and China slapped levies on $34 billion of each other’s exports, the first tangible shots in a trade battle that both sides are bracing to fight for months—if not years. The new levies took effect at midnight Eastern Time in the U.S. In response, a commission of China’s State Council said it applied tariffs on 545 items “including agricultural products, vehicles and aquatic products,” according to state-run Xinhua News Agency. President Xi Jinping has instructed various levels of government to get ready for a full-bore trade war, according to Chinese officials. “With his tariff threats, Trump is posing an unprecedented challenge to the leadership,” said Zhu Feng, a professor of international relations at Nanjing University, referring to President Donald Trump.via