Washington — Following the President’s direction over the weekend, the U.S. Trade Representative announced in today’s Federal Register that it will increase the tariffs from 10 percent to 25 percent on $200 billion in Chinese goods as of Friday due to reported Chinese backtracking on commitments.
The Computer & Communications Industry Association has criticized China’s discriminatory practices that are the focus of USTR’s Section 301 investigation in regulatory filings and has also testified in Senate hearings about China’s internet censorship as a trade barrier. However, as noted in industry letters CCIA has signed on to (here and here), tariffs are not the appropriate response to China’s actions and will ultimately harm U.S. firms and consumers.
The following can be attributed to CCIA President & CEO Ed Black:
“This escalation will only lead to further retaliation and costs for US citizens and businesses. We would urge USTR to instead delay tariffs while negotiators continue to seek real solutions to the legitimate concerns about market access for U.S. technology firms that the administration wants addressed. Setting the right foundation for trade with China is strategically important, but additional tariffs that hurt U.S. consumers are not the solution.”