US 'Section 301' tariffs only hurt the US, China and the world

The US' "Section 301" tariff measures are not good for China, the US or the rest of the world, the Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday.

In response to the US reportedly delaying their decision on the China tariffs put in place by Trump, Shu Jueting, the ministry's spokeswoman, said at a regular briefing that the move will bring more losses for US enterprises and consumers amid high inflation.

Shu's remarks came as Bloomberg recently reported that US President Joe Biden is holding back on a decision to scrap any Trump-era tariffs on China imports, while the administration studies ways to help businesses seeking relief.

Last week, the Office of the United States Trade Representative confirmed that representatives of domestic industries benefiting from the tariff actions in the "Section 301" investigation have requested the continuation of the tariffs.

The USTR said accordingly, as required by statute, the tariffs did not expire on their four-year anniversary dates and the office will proceed with the next steps as provided in the statute.

ouyangshijia@chinadaily.com.cn