White House levy to protect US makers from cheap imports likely to inflame trade tensions

White House levy to protect US makers from cheap imports likely to inflame trade tensions

The US president, Joe Biden, has announced a 100% tariff on Chinese-made electric vehicles as part of a package of measures designed to protect US manufacturers from cheap imports.

In a move that is likely to inflame trade tensions between the world’s two biggest economies, the White House said it was imposing more stringent curbs on Chinese goods worth $18bn.

Sources said the move followed a four-year review and was a preventive measure designed to stop cheap subsidised Chinese goods flooding the US market and stifling the growth of the American green technology sector.

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Despite the risks of retaliation from Beijing, Biden said the increased levies were a proportionate response to China’s overcapacity in the EV sector. Sources said China was producing 30m EVs a year but could sell only 22-23m domestically.

  • bluewing
    11·
    1 month ago

    First, the countries where they are popular tend to have limited higher speed roadways and the general population doesn’t want to own one anyway. And some countries simply do not care if you die in one. It is pretty hard to get seriously hurt of killed at 20mph speeds.

    Second, trying to legislate where people might drive those things will prove to be futile. We both know Bubba and Ken will think “it’s only a little ways” and try to get one of these those things up on a highway speed roadway in a grossly overloaded tiny little pickup. Only to be run over by an 80,000lbs semi or smacked in the rear-end by Karen in her Suburban doing 70 mph in a 50mph zone. This is probably a very good case where the rules banning them from roads are to protect people from their own stupidity.

    We kill enough people every year in the highly engineered for safety vehicles we already have. And besides, I have seen people drive and most of y’all shouldn’t.