Senators Ask U.S. Trade Chief to Broaden China Tariff Exclusions
- Bipartisan group of 41 wants comprehensive relief for firms
- October revamp of process had narrow scope, senators say
This article is for subscribers only.
A bipartisan group of 41 senators urged President Joe Biden’s trade chief to create a more comprehensive process to exclude some Chinese imports from punitive tariffs that the lawmakers say have a negative impact on U.S. businesses.
The “narrow nature” of an exclusion process the U.S. Trade Representative announced in October “may prevent struggling business and manufacturers from receiving relief that they desperately need, given the continuation of the Covid-19 pandemic,” senators led by Ohio Republican Rob Portman and Delaware Democrat Tom Carper wrote Monday. They said just 1% of imports under the original exclusion process are eligible for consideration.