Prominent U. S. business lobbies are begging the Trump administration not to impose tariffs on Chinese imports, but some small manufacturers are pushing the other way: Trying to get more products on the proposed list.
Prominent U. S. business lobbies are begging the Trump administration not to impose tariffs on Chinese imports, but some small manufacturers are pushing the other way: Trying to get more products on the proposed list.
Makers of steel wheels, safes and other products want the U. S. to impose tariffs on goods by their Chinese competitors, which aren’t among the products targeted so far. They say the duties the U. S. imposed on steel and aluminum imports raised their costs but didn’t affect finished goods made in China and sold here — setting up a potentially damaging Catch-22.
“All we’re asking is that the table be leveled and the field balanced so the competition is fair,” said Jeffrey Pizzola, chief operating officer of Americana Development Inc., which employs about 400 people in Ohio, Georgia and Indiana to make steel wheels for products including lawn and garden equipment, recreational vehicles and trailers.
Pizzola’s call for expanded tariffs counters most requests being received by the U. S. Trade Representative’s office, which ask for the duties not to be imposed or for exemptions. Almost 160 comments have been made public so far. The comment period ends May 11. Willing to Talk
More than 1,300 Chinese products, from biscuit ovens to backhoes to false teeth, have been targeted for tariffs in response to complaints about China’s theft of intellectual property. That’s separate from levies imposed in March on steel and aluminum imports from China and elsewhere on grounds they pose a threat to national security.
The Trump administration has indicated it’s willing to negotiate with China amid fears about a trade war that’s rattled financial markets and showed the sometimes unintended domino effects of protectionist trade actions. If steps toward a truce were to fail, the tariffs could be imposed after a public hearing May 22.
The National Retail Federation, Information Technology Industry Council and more than 100 other groups have formed a coalition to oppose the tariffs.
