China imports worth US$250 billion a step closer to 30 per cent tariff as US moves ahead with Donald Trump’s plan
- United States Trade Representative files notice to invite comments on plan to increase tariff from 25 per cent to 30 per cent on October 1
- American businesses have already strongly opposed plans to impose duties on US$300 billion of imports set to come into force on September 1 and December 15
The United States has taken early steps to increase import tariffs on US$250 billion of Chinese goods to 30 per cent from October 1, indicating that at least for now, the Trump administration has no plans to step back from its plan to escalate its trade war with China.
The Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) on Thursday published a notice in the US Federal Register – the official record of US government administrative actions – inviting comments ahead of increasing the rate from 25 per cent on October 1.
The proposed increase will target some 6,830 types of imports from China, including goods related to technology transfer, intellectual property and innovative industries, the USTR notice said.
According to US law firm Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, the invitation is a chance for businesses to convince the White House that “the proposed increase on particular products would cause disproportionate economic harm to US interests, including small or medium-sized businesses and consumers”.
This comes after the USTR gave formal notice on Wednesday about the plan to raise tariffs on US$300 billion of Chinese imports from 10 per cent to 15 per cent in two batches, starting on Sunday and on December 15.
American businesses have strongly opposed the increased tariffs on US$300 billion of Chinese imports, which mainly targets consumer goods including smartphones. Some 150 business groups under an umbrella organisation called America for Free Trade sent an open letter to US President Donald Trump urging him to delay the increase.