US President Donald Trump will go ahead with his promise to increase tariffs on Chinese companies, said US commerce secretary Wilbur Ross. "He is not a president who bluffs, this is a president who tells you what he will do and he lives up to what he says," Ross said in an interview with CNBC-TV18.

On Monday, Trump said on Twitter that he would raise import taxes on $200 billion in Chinese products to 25 percent from 10 percent on Friday. This was ahead of the Chinese delegation meeting in Washington to resolve the 10-month persisting trade war that has shaken financial markets and cast gloom over the world economy.

Trump had initially set the tariff increase to 25 percent on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods, including internet modems and routers, printed circuit boards, vacuum cleaners and furniture, in January. He delayed the deadline until March 1 to allow negotiations, and then postponed the increase indefinitely, citing progress in the talks.

On Sunday, however, Trump said he's losing patience. "The Trade Deal with China continues, but too slowly, as they attempt to renegotiate. No!" Trump tweeted.

Ross reaffirmed that it was only because the negotiations were getting delayed, Trump had made such an announcement.

"It isn’t so much of what went wrong, but what is taking too long. As the president has said, we are making progress in negotiations, but he feels it is too long. Remember, these higher tariffs were supposed to take effect months ago," Ross said.

The two countries are locked in a high-stakes dispute over China's push to establish itself as a technological superpower.

The Chinese sent vice-premier Liu He to Washington on Wednesday, who will stay in the city for two days, setting up a last-ditch bid to resolve the trade war.

On Chinese premier coming to Washington, Ross said: "There will be negotiations, as I understand that the Chinese have announced they will be continuing with negotiations, we think that is a good thing. We just hope they come to fruition quickly."

If the talks do not materialise, Ross said Trump 'will do what he has said', and that is, increase the import tariffs to 25 percent.

Trump pushed for sweeping changes to China's policies on intellectual property theft, technology transfers industrial subsidies and market access.

He criticized the US trade deficit with China, which hit a record $419 billion in 2018, as stealing American manufacturing jobs. His hard line on China has played well with his political base in Midwestern industrial and farm states, with Trump seeking re-election next year.

Not only has the trade war hurt the global markets, but it has also shaken the Chinese economy.

In April, the Chinese trade data showed that there has been a rise in imports and a fall in exports. Exports fell 2.7 percent from a year earlier while the imports beat expectations with a 4.0 percent rise year-on-year.

Negotiations to remove US tariffs have been one of the remaining sticking points. China wants the tariffs removed. US officials want to keep some, if not all, as part of any final deal to ensure China lives up to its commitments

(With inputs from agencies.)

Read our full coverage on Wilbur Ross' India visit here.