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US-China trade war: Trump-era tariffs on imports kept in place as Joe Biden’s ambivalence persists
- Renewal comes four years after additional duties imposed on products ranging from construction to cars encompassing US$16 billion worth of goods
- White House is of two minds as administration sees ‘significant leverage’ in tariffs yet American consumers feeling pinched by high inflation
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The four-year expiration date on a portion of Washington’s punitive tariffs on imports from China came and went on Tuesday, leaving in place a 25 per cent levy on goods worth about US$16 billion, despite ambivalence from US President Joe Biden’s administration.
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The additional duties on Chinese imports, initiated by former US President Donald Trump, come under four lists. List 1 took effect on July 6, 2018, and applies to machinery and manufacturing parts such as for aircraft, covering US$34 billion worth of Chinese goods. List 2 covers products ranging from construction to cars, and encompasses US$16 billion worth of goods, effective for another four years from Tuesday.
In total, the US sanctioned Chinese imports worth US$300 billion as of 2019 under all four lists, citing a “massive” trade deficit and “unfair” trade practices.
The Office of the US Trade Representative on May 5 initiated a review of the two batches of tariffs, seeking feedback from representatives of domestic industries that benefited from them. As of the August 23 deadline for List 2, 152 submissions were received in favour of extending those tariffs, while over 300 requests were accepted to keep List 1 tariffs in place as well.
A notice from the USTR Federal Register said it would automatically renew the tariffs if it received even a single request to continue them.
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