President Biden increased tariffs on Chinese goods under Section 301 of 1974’s Trade Act. The hike goes on $18 billion worth of imports from China, prompting significant concerns that China might impose tariffs on the U.S. agricultural products that the Asian nation imports.
U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai says the move is a response to China’s “unfair and anticompetitive economic practices.” Tariffs are going up on critical manufacturing and mining sectors, including steel, aluminum, semiconductors, electric vehicles, batteries, solar cells, and certain critical minerals. National Journal notes that Biden “doubled down” on former President Trump’s tariff policies, keeping the Trump tariffs in force and imposing even more in an effort to keep China from dominating the emerging clean-energy global market.
CNN says China has vowed to “resolutely defend its interests” because of the new U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports and says these barriers would affect the two countries’ “wider relationship.”
