The US would take public comments regarding exclusions from its tariffs on China, the White House announced on Tuesday, as the administration of US President Joe Biden grapples with what it views as Beijing’s failure to honor a trade deal.
On Monday, US Trade Representative (USTR) Katherine Tai (戴琪) announced that Washington would seek “frank conversations” with China over its adherence to an agreement made last year that was meant to cool commercial tensions between the two economic powers.
That deal came after Biden’s predecessor, Donald Trump, imposed tariffs on US$370 billion of Chinese products in 2018, citing trade practices Washington deemed “unfair.”
Photo: Bloomberg
However, many US firms have criticized the levies, saying that they drive up costs, as importers bear their brunt.
On Tuesday, Tai’s office announced a “targeted tariff exclusion process.”
More than 2,200 exclusions had previously been granted and 549 had been extended until most expired at the end of last year, it said in a statement.
“As these exclusions were previously found to warrant additional time, USTR will evaluate, on a case-by-case basis, the possible reinstatement of each exclusion,” the statement said.
“The focus of the evaluation will be whether ... the particular product remains available only from China,” it said.
The public comment period runs from Tuesday next week through Dec. 1, the office said, adding that it would weigh the exclusion’s effects on factors including employment, supply chains and its overall policies toward China.
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