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US says start of new China tariffs will be delayed by at least 2 weeks

  • Trade Representative’s office is reviewing tariffs on Chinese imports such as electric vehicles which were meant to take effect on August 1

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The American and Chinese flags. The US said on Tuesday that tariffs on Chinese imports will be delayed by at least two weeks. Photo: AP

The US Trade Representative’s office said on Tuesday some of the steep US tariff increases on an array of Chinese imports, including electric vehicles (EVs) and their batteries, computer chips and medical products will be delayed by at least two weeks.

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USTR said in May those tariffs would take effect on August 1, but the office said it is still reviewing 1,100 comments received and now expects to issue a final determination in August. The office added the new tariffs will take effect around two weeks after the final determination is released.

US President Joe Biden in May opted to keep tariffs put in place by his Republican predecessor Donald Trump while ratcheting up others, including a quadrupling of import duties on Chinese EVs to over 100 per cent and doubling semiconductor duties to 50 per cent.

USTR also sought input whether a proposed 25 per cent duty on medical masks, gloves and a planned 50 per cent tariff on syringes should be higher.

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Washington is investing hundreds of billions of dollars in clean energy tax subsidies to develop US EV, solar and other new industries, and has said China’s state-driven excess production capacity in these sectors threatens the viability of US companies.

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