Breaking News: Chinese Commerce Ministry Urges U.S. to Lift Tariffs on Chinese Goods
The Chinese commerce ministry has called for the immediate removal of all tariffs on Chinese goods by the United States. This comes ahead of an anticipated announcement by the Biden administration regarding potential tariff increases on Chinese-made products, including electric vehicles.
The U.S. is set to make a final decision in the coming days after delaying the verdict twice, in order to review proposed changes to tariffs on Chinese goods that were implemented during the Trump administration in 2018 and 2019.
Initially, the planned higher duties on electric vehicles, semiconductors, solar cells, lithium-ion batteries, and other items were scheduled to take effect on August 1. However, the implementation was postponed by the U.S. Trade Representative's Office on July 30, citing the need for additional time to analyze over 1,100 public comments from various industries. The new deadline of August 31 was further extended due to another deferment.
The latest delay followed talks between White House National Security adviser Jake Sullivan and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, where both parties emphasized the importance of managing the U.S.-China relationship.
Chinese commerce ministry spokesperson, He Yongqian, criticized the imposition of tariffs on Chinese goods as "adding insult to injury," stating that China has repeatedly raised concerns about the issue of 301 tariffs with the United States.
Meanwhile, a China-U.S. commerce and trade working group is scheduled to convene for a second meeting in Tianjin on September 7, following the first meeting held in April. The discussions are expected to cover a wide range of topics, including each side's economic and trade policies.