US locks in steep China tariff hikes, some industries warn of disruptions
Sept 13 (Reuters) - The Biden administration on Friday locked in steep tariff hikes on Chinese imports, including a 100% duty on electric vehicles, to boost protections for strategic industries from China's state-driven industrial practices.
The U.S. Trade Representative's office said that many of the tariffs, including a 100% duty on Chinese EVs, 50% on solar cells and 25% on steel, aluminum, EV batteries and key minerals, would take effect on Sept. 27.
The USTR determination, published on Friday and first reported by Reuters, showed that a 50% duty on Chinese semiconductors, now including two new categories - silicon wafers and polysilicon used in solar panels - is due to start in 2025.
The action, which marks the end of a more than two-year review of tariffs that had been imposed by former president Donald Trump, mostly left unchanged the top-line duty increases announced in May by President Joe Biden. These include a new 25% tariff on lithium-ion batteries, minerals and components, with those for EVs taking effect on Sept. 27, and those for all other devices on Jan. 1, 2026.
The Biden administration also left in place Trump's tariffs on over $300 billion worth of Chinese goods ranging from toys and t-shirts to internet routers and industrial machinery at rates of 7.5% to 25%.
The final decision largely disregarded pleas from automakers for lower tariffs on graphite and critical minerals used in EV battery production because they are still dependent on Chinese supplies.
https://www.reuters.com/business/us-locks-steep-china-tariff-hikes-many-start-sept-27-2024-09-13/
= new reply since forum marked as read
