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.

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.

  • @assassinatedbyCIA@lemmy.world
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    111 months ago

    I guess Americans will never get cheap electric cars. Make no mistake. US automakers aren’t going to use this tariff to buy time to make competitive cheap electric cars. They’re just going to rest on their laurels and continue to sell large overpriced trucks, SUV and their EV counterparts.

    • JJROKCZ
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      111 months ago

      That’s what pisses me off here, I just want something affordable to get from a-b work commute, I’m not spending $80k on an electric suv that I only have because I’m forced into work.

      It’s gonna end up with me buying a moped or small motorcycle to get to work at reasonable cost

      • Tiefling IRL
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        11 months ago

        I’m thinking of getting a smart car for city driving since I often have to haul gear from one borough to another, but REALLY don’t want a traditional car, much less an SUV. They seem so much easier to find parking for

    • SuiXi3D
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      011 months ago

      Like, I agree, but do you actually think Trump is a better choice?

                • @Trashboat@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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                  011 months ago

                  Not really, because unless you can convince a majority of Americans to vote third party, which is unbelievably unlikely, then Biden or Trump are the options. On top of that, when you start pulling left wing votes away from Biden, it makes it easier for Trump to win unless you hit the point of majority support, which is again incredibly unlikely. I wish that weren’t the reality, but that’s how it is currently, and I hella do not want another term of Trump as I believe that’d be genuinely ruinous.

    • @dan1101@lemm.ee
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      011 months ago

      Trump would be no better. If I had to make a rough scorecard it would be Biden 55 and Trump about 4.

  • @TechNerdWizard42@lemmy.world
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    011 months ago

    How can anyone see this and not see that the US is a manipulative shithole country? Champion of the free world markets except when they aren’t winning, then closed market manipulation and government interference.

    The US hasn’t been ahead for many years and they can’t innovate. So now they just want to keep out actual progress.

  • @mlg@lemmy.world
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    011 months ago

    They’re banning 25 year old kei trucks, they were definitely not gonna allow China to compete.

    God forbid we try to save the planet without making morbillions in shareholder value first.

  • @fritobugger2017@lemmy.world
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    011 months ago

    When China opens up it’s domestic market to international goods then the rest of the world should consider doing the same. Until then, match every barrier to entry.

  • @Etterra@lemmy.world
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    011 months ago

    Lol he’s beating Trump to it. It won’t help him at all, but it is funny because it will piss the orange asshole off.