US President Joe Biden has said tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars worth of Chinese imports will remain in force while Washington reviews the raft of penalties imposed by his predecessor Donald Trump.
The US Trade Representative’s office said in a federal notice that it had received requests from companies and other interested parties to maintain the “Section 301” tariffs imposed in 2018 and 2019. The comments were collected during the spring and summer.
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Based on the 1974 trade law under which the duties were imposed, USTR will move on to a formal review of whether to keep the tariffs in place, a process that could take months.
The Biden administration had been considering whether to remove some tariffs as a way to reduce inflationary pressures.
Reuters reported last month that consideration of this move had been put on hold following China’s military manoeuvres near Taiwan after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the island.
- Reuters with additional editing by Sean O’Meara
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