Beijing’s economic manipulations have ravaged American communities for decades.
Washington, D.C. — As cheap Chinese imports threaten to suffocate the global market, President Biden on Tuesday directed the United States Trade Representative to raise Section 301 tariffs on $18 billion worth of Chinese imports in an array of critical industries, including electric vehicles (EVs), solar cells, critical minerals, and semiconductors.
Following the Alliance for American Manufacturing’s report on Chinese auto overcapacity’s threat to U.S. automakers, Biden called for the United States Trade Representative to quadruple tariffs on Chinese EVs.
AAM President Scott Paul said:
“Enhancing the Section 301 tariffs to counter China’s unfair trade practices is absolutely the right thing to do for America’s future. We commend Ambassador Tai and the Biden administration for defending American workers and industries.
“AAM supported the original initiation of the Section 301 tariffs and urged this administration to both extend and enhance the relief measures. Decades of unfair trade by the People’s Republic of China have devastated American communities and weakened our economic security.”
Beijing has nurtured industrial overcapacity for decades in a strategy to eliminate its global competition and secure other nation’s dependence upon its industries. In recent months, skyrocketing Chinese auto overcapacity has engendered an extinction-level threat to U.S. automakers, AAM found in a recent report. Several other critical U.S. sectors, including solar, glass and steel, are also targets in the Chinese government’s mission to cripple America’s manufacturing base.
Paul said:
“We are particularly pleased to see enhanced Section 301 tariffs on steel, aluminum, electric vehicles, semiconductors, the battery supply chain, and certain essential PPE products. We have called the introduction of Chinese EVs into the the United States a potential ‘extinction-level event’ for our vital auto sector. While the nature of China’s unfair trade practices shifts from time to time, the goals are always clear: to disrupt global norms, weaken American economic security, and seek growth at the expense of others.
“The Section 301 tariffs, together with investments in industry and infrastructure, and Buy America domestic preferences, form the framework of an effective 21st century industrial policy for America. We look forward to working with the Biden administration and Congress to build on these achievements.”
Since Biden took office, nearly 800,000 manufacturing jobs have been created and new factory construction has doubled, according to the White House.
Alliance for American Manufacturing President Scott Paul is available for interview.