Washington is reportedly asking countries to ban transshipments, help stop China from dumping cheap goods on the global market, in exchange for tariff cuts.
WASHINGTON—The Trump administration is reportedly seeking to add a condition in its trade negotiations with nearly 70 countries that would isolate China.
According to a report first published by the Wall Street Journal, Washington is asking other countries to reduce their trade and economic ties with Beijing in exchange for a reduction in tariffs.
A White House official familiar with the administration’s trade talks told The Epoch Times that he could not confirm but would not “wave off” the report. He did not elaborate on the administration’s strategy.
U.S. officials are reportedly asking other nations to ban transshipments, a practice that involves Chinese goods being minimally altered or simply relabeled in other countries and then sent to the United States.
Another strategy is to prevent Chinese companies from moving their production to other countries to avoid U.S. tariffs. In addition, U.S. officials are urging other countries not to allow cheap Chinese goods to be poured into their markets, a practice that many countries have already started to address.
On April 2, President Donald Trump announced a 10 percent baseline tariff on nearly every country and added higher, reciprocal tariffs on a number of key trading partners, including Japan, Vietnam, the European Union, and China.
Later, he announced a 90-day pause on the reciprocal tariffs for countries that have signaled their willingness to negotiate while leaving in place the 10 percent baseline tariff. He also said the pause would not apply to tariffs on imports from China, blaming Beijing for retaliating.
Currently, U.S. tariffs on many Chinese imports stand at 145 percent. According to the White House, some Chinese products, including electric vehicles and syringes, face tariffs as high as 245 percent because of the combined effect of reciprocal levies, tariffs imposed in response to fentanyl precursors from China, and Section 301 tariffs imposed during both the Trump and Biden administrations, which range from about 7.5 percent to 100 percent.
By Emel Akan
