U.S. policymakers, when it comes to addressing the so-called "unfair imbalances," tend to tout how effective tariff policies are. Especially when they talk about China and the United States, in the face of China, which is positioned as the "number one competitor" by the United States and must "restrict and suppress at all costs", the word "tariff" is even more obvious.
The former ** Trump of the United States launched a ** war against China during his tenure. In 2018, he imposed a 25 percent tariff on $300 billion worth of goods imported from China. After the current ** Biden of the United States entered the White House, he also chose to continue to retain these tariff policies.
Why did Biden continue the Trump-era tariff policy on China? In this regard, Dai Qi, the representative of the United States, recently explained that maintaining the tariff policy is of "strategic significance" to revive the American manufacturing industry. Helping the manufacturing industry "return", curbing inflation, and creating jobs are all "political achievements" repeatedly promoted by Biden.
At the same time, looking ahead to November this year, Trump has taken the lead in the race for the nomination within the Republican Party of the United States. He recently pledged that, if elected, he would impose a uniform 60 percent tariff on all Chinese products and a 10 percent tariff on all other imports.
But U.S. consumers and manufacturers are not buying the tariffs. Despite Tai's claim that tariffs have helped boost U.S. manufacturing, data from the U.S. Department of Labor show that the tariffs did not boost jobs as well as they could have last year.
Jay Timmons, president of the National Association of Manufacturers, witnessed how tariff policy has had a "counterproductive" effect on boosting U.S. manufacturing. "Before any elected or appointed person in the U.S. starts talking about how good tariff policies are, it's important to look at what those policies are actually doing to U.S. manufacturers and the reality that they're costing U.S. manufacturing workers jobs," Timmons said.
Timmons said that the tariffs have not had the effect of boosting the U.S. manufacturing industry, but have pushed up the cost of manufacturing and consumption. He hopes that the tariffs will be eliminated because they "create a system in which finished drills imported from China are cheaper than those assembled in the United States, because imported parts are subject to tariffs when they enter the United States." ”
Such a shot, if fired, will be counterattacked. Timmons said. He offers a simpler, and more economic, solution than tariffs – agreeing on a "rules-based, enforceable, free** agreement." ”
China has repeatedly urged the US side to work to promote the sound and steady development of China-US economic and trade relations, and stressed that the essence of China-US economic and trade cooperation is mutually beneficial and win-win results, which is in the fundamental interests of the two countries and two peoples.
The United States is coming, and the current two parties naturally have to compete to show a "tough on China" stance according to the usual practice, in this context, with the gradual advancement of the election campaign, ** and tariffs will further become the focus of the issue. However, putting aside all the "harsh words" to "build momentum" for the election campaign, it is also hoped that the positive momentum from the recent meeting of the China-US Economic Working Group will be maintained and will continue to the next meeting tentatively scheduled for April.
If the US really wants to play the "tariff card", the consequences may be just as Timmons said, and it will only be a vicious circle of-for-tat. There is no doubt that there will be no winners in the war and tariff war, but only to harm others and themselves, and American politicians who love to commit "tariff addiction" should not leave anything to chance about this.
This article was compiled from an editorial in China** on February 19.
Original title: Electioneering Tariff Talk Belies the Reality
*: China**Net.