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President Joe Biden considers lifting tariffs on imported goods from China —implemented by former President Donald Trump (2017 – 2021)— to lower inflationary pressures, but he is making that decision contingent on the impact on workers.
Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said to CBS that Biden wants to reduce inflation and benefit consumers but wants to be sure that when it is done, there is no impact on American workers.
Trump significantly raised tariffs on imports from China during the trade war with that country, due to China’s failure to comply with ethical trade rules, and intellectual property theft, among other reasons.
Unions and some senior officials, such as Foreign Trade Representative Katherine Tai, support maintaining the tariffs as they believe it gives the U.S. leverage in its negotiations with China.
Others, such as Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, argue that some reductions may be justified to help bring down inflation, which in June stood at 9.1%, a rate not seen since 1981.
