Trade tensions between the world's two largest economies escalated further yesterday after China responded to US plans for new tariffs on hundreds of Chinese import product categories worth around $50 billion a year.
Just hours after the Trump administration revealed plans for a 25% tariff on Chinese imports of products within industries such as aerospace, information and communication technology, robotics, and machinery, Beijing threatened to retaliate by imposing tariffs on roughly $50 billion of imports from the US, including on soybeans, cars, and some aircraft, according to reports from international sources including the BBC, FT and Washington Post.
The US claimed it was responding to China’s “unfair trade practices related to the forced transfer of US technology and intellectual property” by publishing “a proposed list of products imported from China that could be subject to additional tariffs”.
Following the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR)’s so-called Section 301 investigation, President Trump announced in March that the United States “will impose tariffs on approximately $50 billion worth of Chinese imports and take other actions in response to China’s policies that coerce American companies into transferring their technology and intellectual property to domestic Chinese enterprises.”
The US said China’s policies “bolster China’s stated intention of seizing economic leadership in advanced technology as set forth in its industrial plans”, such as its ‘Made in China 2025’ plans.
The US continued: “The proposed list of products is based on extensive interagency economic analysis and would target products that benefit from China’s industrial plans while minimizing the impact on the US economy. Sectors subject to the proposed tariffs include industries such as aerospace, information and communication technology, robotics, and machinery.”
The proposed list covers approximately 1,300 separate tariff lines and will undergo further review in a public notice and comment process, including a hearing. After completion of this process, USTR will issue a final determination on the products subject to the additional duties.
“The total value of imports subject to the tariff increase is commensurate with an economic analysis of the harm caused by China’s unreasonable technology transfer policies to the US economy, as covered by USTR’s Section 301 investigation,” the US said. Its announcement comes just days after the USTR filed a request for consultations with China at the World Trade Organization (WTO) to address China’s “discriminatory technology licensing requirements”.
Such consultations are the first step in the WTO dispute settlement process, the US said. “If the United States and China are unable to reach a solution through consultations, the United States may request the establishment of a WTO dispute settlement panel to review the matter.”
Responding to the new US tariff announcements but prior to the retaliatory threats from China, US body the National Retail Federation issued the following statement from President and CEO Matthew Shay: “As we’ve said all along, tariffs are taxes on consumers and a drag on the nation’s economy. While we are pleased that many everyday products such as clothing and shoes are not on the list, we remain concerned that other goods such as consumer electronics and home appliances are targets. And we believe that tariffs on certain machinery will make American-made products more expensive.
“This entire process creates uncertainty and makes it difficult for retail companies that must rely on complicated global supply chains. Tariffs threaten to hurt consumers, jeopardize job creation and increase the cost of doing business here in the United States.
“Once again, we urge the administration to work with our trading partners to hold China accountable, advance targeted solutions and recognize the unintended consequences of protectionist trade policies.”
Discussion about this post