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US-China trade war
EconomyChina Economy

US to keep China’s trade-deal performance under the microscope

  • US Trade Representative Katherine Tai briefs a Senate subcommittee, vowing a top-to-bottom review of the trade policy with China
  • Tai adds that she will meet with her Chinese counterpart ‘at the right time’ to discuss the phase one trade agreement, without elaborating

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US Trade Representative Katherine Tai says China’s performance in the phase one trade deal is in the process of being scrutinised. Photo: AFP
Cissy Zhou

Examining how well China has performed against the terms laid out in its phase one trade deal signed with the Trump administration is a “priority” for the new administration, according to US Trade Representative Katherine Tai.

Testifying before a Senate subcommittee on Wednesday, Tai said that the administration of President Joe Biden is studying all available options for enforcing the trade agreement signed in January last year, when Washington vowed to cut some tariffs in exchange for China committing to buy an additional US$200 billion worth of American goods and services over the following two years, compared with 2017 levels.

“We are in the process of examining their performance and are scrutinising all of the aspects of what they have done,” Tai said.

She also said that she would conduct a top-to-bottom review of the trade policy toward China. Although the review within the Office of the United States Trade Representative has not begun yet, the USTR said it could lead to a product-exclusion process for goods from China hit by Section 301 tariffs.

“The tariffs, this agreement [and] the exclusion process will be very critical parts of this top-to-bottom review, and I am looking forward to kicking it off,” Tai said.

Tai added that she would meet with her Chinese counterpart “at the right time” to discuss the trade agreement, without elaborating.
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