Joe Biden to reinstate tariffs on numerous Chinese imports
President Joe Biden is set to reimpose tariffs on hundreds of Chinese goods, as per an announcement from the office of the US Trade Representative. This move forms part of a broader strategy aimed at increasing duties in strategic sectors and protecting American manufacturing. The US Trade Representative revealed that import taxes will be reinstated on approximately 200 out of 400 Chinese goods that had been excluded from tariffs.
Extension of tariff exclusions on selected Chinese imports
The announcement also stated that 164 exclusions would be extended through May of next year. All exemptions, initially set to expire at the end of this month, will now be extended until June 14 to allow for a transition period for those not being renewed. A variety of products including certain types of motors and medical equipment, child safety seats, specific backpacks and some kinds of crab meat will continue to receive exclusions through next May.
Termination of tariff exclusions on over 100 Chinese products
More than 100 products where exclusions are being ended received no public comment asking for their extension. For the remaining items, public comments failed to demonstrate that extending the exclusions would help shift sourcing away from China or prove that these imports are unavailable from sources other than China. The Biden administration recently announced to quadruple tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and increase levies on imports including semiconductors, batteries, solar cells due to allegations of intellectual property theft by China.
