U.S. waives tariffs for some Chinese goods

The Biden administration decided to waive some tariff duties on imports from China. The United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced Wednesday that it has reinstated 352 expired product exclusions from U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports, which will be effective retroactively from Oct. 12, 2021, and extend through Dec. 31, 2022. The reinstated product exclusions include industrial components and consumer goods, including TV screens, backpacks, bicycles, and pillows.

Former Trump administration hit Chinese imports with 300 billion dollars of punitive tariffs in 2018, starting a trade war with China. As complaints from the U.S. industry intensified, the Trump administration lifted import tariffs on some Chinese goods, but former President Donald Trump left office at the end of 2020 without extending the product exclusions scheme.

U.S. industries have demanded the Biden administration to lift Trump-era tariffs on Chinese goods, and the USTR decided to restore product exclusions to 352 out of 549 exclusions. The USTR told reporters that it selected products to be exempt from tariffs by considering whether those products could be produced in the U.S. or third countries and whether they were hit by the changes in global supply chains.

The U.S. reinstatement of product exclusions on some Chinese imports is part of its response to inflation and to assuage China that nudges towards Russia in the midst of the Russian invasion of Ukraine so that Russia is isolated in the world.


Jae-Dong Yu jarrett@donga.com