It was alluded to yesterday and confirmed today. American President Joe Biden today unveiled a series of major tariff increases on a number of Chinese imports, including microchips and electric vehicles.
The move is at least in part a political one in this election year. At the same time, pressure is mounting to protect the American market from a potential massive influx of Chinese electric vehicles. These are often subsidized by the government and can thus be offered at lower prices.
Some American automakers fear major consequences for the US auto industry if Chinese electric vehicles ever reach the American market.
China immediately promised retaliation. It declared that it would take measures to defend its interests, while urging the United States to cancel the new measures.
President Biden is maintaining the tariffs put in place by Republican predecessor Donald Trump, as well as increasing others. What interests us here are the tariffs on electric vehicles, which will rise from 25 to 100 percent, a major increase.
The White House has referred to the “unacceptable risks” to US economic security posed by what it sees as unfair Chinese practices flooding world markets with cheap products.
The United States imported $427 billion in goods from China in 2023, while it exported the equivalent of $148 billion, according to Reuters, citing information from the US Census Bureau.
The trade deficit with China is an increasingly sensitive issue in Washington.
Note that tariffs on lithium-ion batteries and other battery parts are being raised from 7.5 to 25 percent. Other specific components are affected, such as photovoltaic cells used to manufacture solar panels; in this case, the tariff rises from 25 to 50 percent.
Further tariffs will follow in 2025 and 2026 on semiconductors, doubling to 50 percent.
Analysts, meanwhile, believe that a trade conflict could drive up the costs of electric vehicles in general, undermining Joe Biden's climate and manufacturing job creation goals. For consumers, it also means generally more expensive vehicles.
Some also fear the arrival of Chinese vehicles on the American market because of the personal data they could collect.