US Ports Warn White House of ‘Grave’ Economic Risks With China Crane Tariff

Tariffs, most economists would agree, act to restrict imports of the item targeted by the border tax. A US tariff on Chinese-made port cranes will be indiscriminate — hurting exports as well as imports, and boosting costs for the government, companies and consumers.

That’s the argument from US seaports, which are urging the Biden administration to rethink a proposed 25% duty on Chinese-made gantry cranes. Such a tax would add more than $130 million in unexpected costs and disadvantage them against rivals in Canada and Mexico, the industry says.