USTR releases trade barrier report
đť… One day more, another day another duty fee. đť…
On Monday, the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) issued a whopping 400-page report on what it regards as unfair trade barriers imposed by other countries on sales of US goods.
Some context: One of US President Donald Trump’s first orders of business upon reentering the White House was to order an investigation into foreign trade barriers.
- He also announced plans to impose “reciprocal tariffs” on all US trade partners, effective April 2.
The report singled out 59 countries, regions, and blocs for criticism, but China caught by far the most flak with nearly 50 pages dedicated to calling out a litany of alleged abuses, including:
- Engaging in state-led, non-market trade
- Forced technology transfer and insufficient IP protection
- WTO non-compliant tariffs
- A host of non-tariff barriers
- Unfair procurement processes
- Forced labor
- And much, much more!
Get smart: It’s no surprise that the Trump administration would find fault with China’s trade practices.
- Depending on how forcefully Washington looks to “level the playing field,” the US-China trade war may intensify massively.
Get smarter: Washington is gifting Beijing the chance to make common cause with other countries on Trump’s naughty list, to resist US tariffs.
- This could expedite Beijing's efforts to repair frosty relations with economies such as the UK, EU, and Australia.