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US-China talks assisting avoid Chinese retaliation versus tariff hikes-Treasury official

China has actually not struck back against U.S. tariff increases on Chinese imports partially because of continued discussion between the world's two biggest economies, the U.S. Treasury's leading economic diplomat said in an interview aired on Tuesday.

Jay Shambaugh, Treasury undersecretary for international affairs, informed the Marketplace public radio program that Chinese financial authorities came away from recent meetings with U.S. equivalents with a more nuanced understanding of the Biden administration's decision to enforce steep tariff walkings on EVs, lithium-ion batteries, semiconductors, solar cells, steel and aluminum and other tactical products.

A number of the tariffs, consisting of 100% on Chinese EVs, 50% on solar cells and 25% on steel and aluminum, took effect on Sept. 27. A doubling of duties on Chinese semiconductors to 50% will take effect on Jan. 1, 2025.

Shambaugh, who led a delegation of Treasury authorities to Beijing on Sept. 19-20, said the Chinese authorities comprehend the tariffs are directly targeted to tactical sectors, including where the Biden administration is making investments to establish U.S. production.

The boosts, affecting some $18 billion worth of imports, topped a two-year review of the punitive Area 301 tariffs imposed by former president Donald Trump that likewise kept those in location. The U.S. directly imports really few lorries from China and has high duties on Chinese made steel products.

Shambaugh likewise said his team discussed the boosts were focused on persuading Beijing to change its state-dominated economic practices.

I believe they were stressed when they heard a review was going on that we may do something enormous that would alter everything in the financial relationship, Shambaugh said of his Chinese equivalents.

And I think once we had the ability to describe to them what we were doing and why, I would say they had a more nuanced understanding of what we were doing, and so you have not seen some sort of big escalation or retaliation.

While China has not revealed vindictive steps against the U.S. tariff walkings, Canada's matching 100% duty on Chinese EVs has actually been met with Chinese anti-dumping examinations into canola and rapeseed imports from Canada.

Trump, the Republican politician nominee for president, has vowed that if chosen, he will impose across-the-board tariffs of 60% on all Chinese imports, 10% on all other imports into the United States.

(source: Reuters)