US companies oppose additional tariffs on China
By Hu
Zexi, People’s Daily
US
business owners voiced against Washington’s proposed additional tariffs on $300
billion worth of imported Chinese goods, claiming that the move would disrupt
their supply chains, and they can’t move the supply chains out of China.
The
business representatives from various fields including publishing, chemical
industry, seafood industry, and sport products said they have no
alternative partner but China, when they
were advised to move their supply chains to Vietnam or Mexico by government officials
at a hearing held by the Office of the United States Trade
Representative (USTR) on June 18.
A paint brush maker
from Ohio said it’s impossible for it to find suppliers outside China, for its
brushes are made with a special kind of bristles which can only be
produced in southwest China. The company has cooperated with its Chinese
suppliers since 1892.
Daniel
Reynolds, CEO of New York-based Workman Publishing Company, brought to the
hearing some children’s books which involve cutting-edge designs of the
industry and require higher standards of printing techniques.
The
books have to be produced in China, said Reynolds, explaining that they don’t
have other choices, because the unique designs, new materials and strict
standards for bookbinding cannot be realized elsewhere.
Children’s
books have been reviving in the US, thanks to the innovative designs, said
Reynolds, expressing the concern that it would be more difficult to reduce
American children’s screen time if these books are to be included in the tariff
list.
Some business
representatives were shocked that their government’s decisions could
be so inconstant.
Robert
DeHaan, Vice President of Government Affairs& General Counsel at National
Fisheries Institute attended a hearing held by the USTR last August, when
opposition from the industry helped exempt some
seafood products that are not produced in China
from tariffs. However, this time, the seafood items were added to
the tariff list again.
It took
great pains to prepare for and attend the hearings repeatedly, expressed
Jessica Wasserman, who took part in the hearing representing three small and
medium-sized US food companies which need to import pine nuts from China. She
said they don’t like to repeat such processes.
US companies oppose additional tariffs on China
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