The decision -- which drew a fiery response from Beijing -- comes as President Joe Biden gears up for a re-run of his 2020 contest with Republican rival Donald Trump in November's election, with officials criticizing Trump's record on trade as they made the announcement.
This follows a review of tariffs imposed during a trade war between Washington and Beijing, during which then-president Trump introduced levies on some $300 billion in goods from China. The so-called Section 301 investigation was the primary tool the Trump administration used to justify tariffs, and the US Trade Representative is required to look into the impact of the levies after four years.Beyond EVs and semiconductors, Washington is roughly tripling tariffs on some steel and aluminum products, and on lithium-ion EV batteries and battery parts.
Beijing's foreign ministry said it"opposes unilateral tariff hikes in violation of WTO rules" when asked about reports of the new measures. The levies will ensure that investments in jobs, spurred by Biden's policies, are not undercut by"underpriced exports from China," National Economic Advisor Lael Brainard said.
- 'Pre-emptive strike'-Hiking tariffs on Chinese EVs would be"a pre-emptive strike" given that few such cars are imported, said Paul Triolo, partner for China at Albright Stonebridge Group."It is really a signal to US automakers that the Biden administration is protecting the industry from Chinese EVs," he told AFP.