US tariff list aims at technology China wants to dominate

(Apr 4): The US proposed imposing 25% tariffs on about $50 billion worth of Chinese-made products, focusing on high-tech items from semiconductors to lithium batteries while seeking to minimise the impact on American consumers.

“This level is appropriate both in light of the estimated harm to the US economy, and to obtain elimination of China’s harmful acts, policies, and practices,” the US Trade Representative’s office said in a report on Tuesday. The US is targeting the 1,300 product lines to try and force China to change its intellectual property practices, the office said.

In deciding which products to hit, US officials identified items that “benefit from Chinese industrial policies, including Made in China 2025,” USTR said, referring to Beijing’s plan to dominate key strategic technologies. The US also picked products based on the principle of trying to minimise the effect on the US economy and consumers, the office said.

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