Brothers - the United States is here to make trouble again!
Do you know what new tricks the United States has been playing against China recently? They're going to impose tariffs again! The "serious" tariff war against China is about to start!
As recently as May 14, the Biden administration announced "severe" new tariffs on $18 billion worth of Chinese goods. This farce is both funny and infuriating. After all, while the previous administration was still imposing Section 301 tariffs on China, the US side continued to raise or impose tariffs on Chinese products exported to the United States through the so-called "review" procedure, which is simply a serious provocation to China! This approach is completely contrary to Biden's commitment and is not in line with the important consensus reached by the two heads of state.
Stabbing in the face and in the back, these are all "clichés"
The United States seems to want to ease relations with China, but in reality? It's like a big dinner full of delicacies, but these "delicacies" don't taste very good. Some time ago, Treasury Secretary Yellen and Secretary of State Blinken both came, but did their arrival ease the relationship between the two countries?
In an interview, Yellen also talked about China's "overcapacity" in the field of new energy such as electric vehicles, as if to show us a "new coat of the emperor".
Blinken is the same, saying that he does not seek a "new Cold War", does not seek to change China's system, does not seek to contain China's development, and does not seek to oppose China through alliances, with a posture of "I want it all". But it didn't take long for Biden to be busy imposing tariffs on Chinese goods.
And the tariffs are not insignificant, involving about $18 billion worth of Chinese imports covering a wide range of seven industries: steel and aluminum, semiconductors, electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries, battery components and critical minerals, solar cells, port cranes and medical products.
Specifically, from 2025, the tariff on electric vehicles will jump directly from 25% to 100%; Tariffs on steel and aluminum will also be raised from 0-7.5% to 25%, semiconductors will be doubled, and electric vehicle-related products such as lithium batteries and battery components will also be increased from 7.5% to 25%. Others, such as natural graphite and permanent magnets, and other critical minerals, will also be increased from 0 to 25%. Tariffs on solar cells will also be increased from 25% to 50%; medical products such as syringes and needles, as well as personal protective equipment (PPE) including masks, from 0-7.5% to 25%; Rubber medical and surgical gloves will also be increased from 7.5% to 25%.
But then again, with the addition of tariffs, the U.S. government has actually done something that harms others and does not benefit itself. Such brutal punitive tariffs are tantamount to demonstrating the collapse of the principles of free trade that they profess. When prices rise, it will be you, the American people, who will suffer the most.
The absurd show competes for votes, but in the end it is "a mirror and a moon"
To say that the Biden administration's tariff hodgepodge this time is like a joke, as if it is a political showmanship, just for the electorate of election year.
Whether it is Biden or Trump, they are all businessmen and feel that the tariffs will allow the United States not to suffer in the uneven bilateral trade. This kind of businessman mentality in handling international relations is to squeeze China's strategic development space, rather than to consider mutual assistance and win-win cooperation.
After Biden took office, he didn't seem to have any special tricks against China, but he continued the old routine, and when tariffs on traditional industries such as steel and textiles could not shake us, he had to continue to stumble on us in new energy vehicles and other aspects. It's like a naughty kid who gets into trouble from a different angle when he can't beat us head-on.
Many people say that the Biden administration's tariffs are mainly for the sake of the campaign. Election considerations, of course, are, and they are very important factors. However, in addition to the new energy industry, this tax increase also covers those products such as dock cranes that were hyped by public opinion before, which is a big move to attract attention!
The Biden administration's recent dual strategy and the battle for new energy, waving the stick of tariffs on photovoltaic products, while quietly dropping the exemption order for photovoltaic production equipment, the motivation behind this is really confusing.
On the one hand, they are doing this to compete with Trump in the election campaign and compete for the hearts and minds of voters; On the other hand, they also want to further suppress China's emerging industries and compete for a share of the new energy industry. This Biden administration is not simply pretentious, and it can be seen that they are really careful in "wrapping up chaos" and "making trouble".
Moral and groundless accusations are actually "being a thief"
One might ask, "Do you think the U.S. is suppressing our advanced industries?" All I could say was, "Joke!" Suppressing advanced industries? Protectionism? It's all naked bullying! Someone else might say, "You have a problem with intellectual property theft and forced technology transfer." I could only laugh and say, "These are fragile lies that can be broken at the first poke." ”
Before the US announced the imposition of tariffs on China, it continued to try to smear China's relevant technologies and products, which is actually a sign of weakness. They are trying to disguise their essence of politicizing and instrumentalizing economic and trade issues through public opinion manipulation. It's hilarious!
To be honest, I don't know what the American political elite thinks, they actually use the words "forced technology transfer" and "intellectual property theft" as the magic weapon of our product competitiveness, as if they are making a movie, and they can use it at will, and they can't even match the lines.
As for the various reasons they put forward, such as the so-called "overcapacity", these are all fragile lies that can be broken at the first poke. The WTO panel has already ruled that Section 301 tariffs violate WTO rules, and the US continues to impose tariffs on China based on Section 301 and continues to ignore the authority of the WTO and international trade rules.
This new round of tariff friction was provoked by the US side. Under the banner of "overcapacity", they have suppressed the advanced industries of other countries and engaged in protectionism under the pretext of "fair competition", and their behavior is overbearing and unreasonable.
They accuse us of "overcapacity" and simply talk nonsense with their eyes open. Those products that are not competitive and are still very important to the United States, the American bigwigs can label them as "excess capacity". In fact, our so-called "surplus" products are caused by the United States' trade protectionist policies and market distortions.
Lifting a stone to shoot yourself in the foot will only "harm others and harm yourself" in the end
Some people always want to look for the Big Dipper from the skyline, hoping to gain China's "understanding", but in fact, tariffs are like big stones falling from the sky, really smashing the legitimate development rights of China's related industries, and trying to suppress China's development space, how can we not take measures to defend our rights and interests?
They seem to have forgotten that the number of passenger cars China exports to the U.S. is "almost zero," so even if the new tariffs do land, they won't have an immediate impact on Chinese EV companies. In addition, nearly 80% of the cranes in American ports are made in China, and at present, it seems that there is no alternative competitor in the United States.
Low-end consumables such as medical gloves and masks do not make much sense to increase tariffs.
U.S. solar manufacturers, while planning to invest nearly $17 billion with the support of the Biden administration, will increase their manufacturing capacity eightfold. However, in the past two years, the United States has not entered the ranks of the top ten export markets for China's photovoltaic products. In addition, the United States has also imposed high tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminum, but in fact, we do not export much directly to the United States.
At a press conference held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on May 14, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said that China has always opposed unilateral tariffs in violation of WTO rules, and China will take all necessary measures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests. In addition, the Information Office of the Ministry of Commerce also issued a document stating that China will take resolute measures to defend its rights and interests.
There is no justification for the US imposition of tariffs on China, and this tariff farce has reached an absurd level. They try to cover up their mistakes with some nonsense, but all this is just self-deception. After all, economic and trade issues are not a politicized and instrumental game, but an important matter related to the well-being of the two peoples. It is hoped that the United States will come to its senses as soon as possible, return to a rational and fair attitude towards China's development, stop this meaningless farce as soon as possible, and return to a rational negotiating table.