U.S. to Take Hard Line on Chinese Trade Practices, Administration Says -- Update
01 March 2021 - 8:11PM
Dow Jones News
By Yuka Hayashi
WASHINGTON -- The Biden administration said Monday it will use
"all available tools" to respond to alleged unfair trading
practices by Beijing as it conducts a comprehensive review of its
trade policy with China.
Releasing its first trade agenda, the administration said it is
committed to using tariffs and other tools to combat alleged unfair
trade practices by China, including unfair subsidies to favored
industries and use of forced labor that targets Uyghurs and other
ethnic minorities.
"The Biden administration recognizes that China's coercive and
unfair trade practices harm American workers, threaten our
technological edge, weaken our supply-chain resiliency and
undermine our national interests, " the administration said.
"Addressing the China challenge will require a comprehensive
strategy and more systematic approach."
Beijing has defended its trade practices and its treatment of
Uyghurs, which it says is aimed at preventing terrorist
attacks.
Under former President Donald Trump, the U.S. negotiated a trade
agreement that calls for China to increase its purchases of U.S.
goods and services by $200 billion over two years, open its
financial markets and ease pressure on U.S. firms to hand over
technology.
Since that deal was signed a little over a year ago, however,
China has fallen behind target for U.S. purchases, in part because
of economic fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Tariffs remain on about $370 billion in annual imports from
China, which the Biden administration is expected to retain as
leverage to force Beijing to comply with the terms of the deal.
Officials at the Chinese Embassy in Washington didn't respond to
a request for comment.
Congress requires the president to issue a trade agenda and
report annually, which gives the administration a chance to explain
its trade policy in detail.
In the new report, the administration said its "worker-centered"
trade policy, pledged earlier by President Biden, will feature
"extensive engagement" with unions and other worker advocates.
Past trade policies will be reviewed for their impact on
workers, and labor obligations in existing trade agreements will be
fully enforced, it said.
In particular, the administration is committed to using a new
mechanism designed to rapidly address violations of labor standards
under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA. The agreement was
renegotiated by the Trump administration and Congress to upgrade
the terms of the North American Free Trade Agreement.
"Under the Biden administration, workers will have a seat at the
table in the development of trade policies," the administration
said. "Trading partners will not be allowed to gain a competitive
advantage by violating workers' rights and pursuing unfair trade
practices."
The administration said it would fight alleged currency
manipulation by other nations seeking to gain a trade advantage
through joint efforts between the Office of the U.S. Trade
Representative and the Treasury and Commerce departments.
As part of the administration's broader strategy to address
climate change, its trade agenda will include the negotiation and
implementation of strong environmental standards in areas such as
fisheries, logging and wildlife trafficking.
The report was released by the USTR as Katherine Tai, Mr.
Biden's nominee to lead the office, awaits Senate confirmation.
At her confirmation hearing last week, Ms. Tai said she would
explore "every possible option available" to address the U.S.'s
longstanding concerns with China's intellectual-property theft and
inadequate market access.
Ms. Tai is a former USTR enforcement lawyer with expertise on
China. She was most recently the chief trade counsel for the House
Ways and Means Committee, and is expected to be confirmed as Mr.
Biden's trade chief within the next week or so.
In the new report, the administration said its trade policy is
an essential component of Mr. Biden's top policy priorities:
fighting the Covid-19 pandemic and ensuring economic recovery. To
ensure the country is better prepared for future public health
crises, the development and reinforcement of manufacturing supply
chains through domestic investment and innovation will be central
to the administration's trade agenda this year.
The report also said the Biden administration will work closely
with allies to restore Washington's leadership in global efforts to
tackle labor issues, climate change and unfair trade practices. It
will re-engage with the World Trade Organization to implement
necessary reforms, the administration said.
Write to Yuka Hayashi at yuka.hayashi@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
March 01, 2021 14:56 ET (19:56 GMT)
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