Trump’s New 10% Tariffs On China Take Effect

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New tariffs on Chinese imports came into effect Tuesday as part of President Trump’s broader strategy to use trade measures to curb the flow of fentanyl into the United States.

The 10% additional tariff on Chinese goods was implemented at 12:01 a.m., just hours after Mexican and Canadian leaders brokered a 30-day delay on the introduction of a significant 25% duty on goods headed for the US.

Last week, President Trump, at 78 years old, declared that the fentanyl crisis in the United States had reached the level of a “national emergency” and that he would utilize his authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose these tariffs on China.

The objective behind the tariffs is to pressure Chinese authorities into taking stronger action against the flow of precursor chemicals that are being trafficked from China to criminal organizations, which then use fentanyl to create dangerous drugs for the US market.

“Access to the American market is a privilege,” a statement from the White House read regarding the tariff imposition, emphasizing that tariffs are a “powerful, proven source of leverage for protecting the national interest.”

“President Trump is using the tools at hand and taking decisive action that puts Americans’ safety and our national security first,” the White House continued.

Several Republican members of Congress have accused the Chinese Communist Party of intentionally exporting fentanyl to weaken the United States.

Fentanyl, largely produced in China and smuggled into the US via land borders, international shipping, and the mail system, has been responsible for claiming at least 281,000 American lives in the past four years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s latest statistics.

In addition to addressing fentanyl, President Trump has also expressed concern about the $279.4 billion trade deficit with China, arguing that tariffs are an effective way to encourage domestic manufacturing of goods.

China remains the top source of imports to the United States, making up roughly 16.5% of US imports in 2022, according to the Office of the US Trade Representative.

Beijing has contended that it has already taken significant action against fentanyl and that Trump’s tariffs violate World Trade Organization regulations.

“China is one of the world’s toughest countries on counternarcotics both in terms of policy and its implementation. Fentanyl is an issue for the U.S. [sic],” read a statement from China’s foreign ministry issued Sunday.

“The U.S. [sic] needs to view and solve its own fentanyl issue in an objective and rational way instead of threatening other countries with arbitrary tariff hikes,” the statement continued, urging the Trump administration to “promote the steady, sound and sustainable development of China-U.S. [sic] relationship.”

The White House maintains that the new tariffs are not meant to ignite a trade war with China.

“President Trump was absolutely 100% clear that this is not a trade war,” White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett stated Monday. “This is a drug war.”

The president has warned that additional tariffs could be imposed on China if no agreement is reached.

“If we can’t make a deal with China, then the tariffs will be very, very substantial,” President Trump said Monday.

Last week, the president hinted that tariffs on Chinese steel, aluminum, copper, pharmaceuticals, and computer chips were also being considered.

Trump refrained from imposing tariffs on Mexico and Canada on Monday after both countries agreed to take more aggressive measures at the border.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum agreed to deploy 10,000 members of her country’s national guard to the border to address drug trafficking, in exchange for a 30-day pause on the implementation of the 25% tariff on imports.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also agreed to a 30-day delay on the tariffs after committing to a “$1.3 billion border plan” that includes new helicopters, technology, and personnel to bolster security at the US-Canada border.

Additionally, Trudeau agreed to appoint a “Fentanyl Czar” and to establish a “Canada-US Joint Strike Force to combat organized crime, fentanyl, and money laundering.”

{Matzav.com}

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