Forecast 2025
USCBC Reacts to USTR’s Final Section 301 Determination
WASHINGTON—September 13, 2024—The US-China Business Council (USCBC), a private, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization of more than 270 American companies that do business in China, today reacted to the US Trade Representative’s (USTR) final Section 301 determination by reiterating its longstanding position that these additional tariffs, like the current ones, will not only not change China’s unfair market practices but will instead harm US businesses, consumers, and the overall economy.
“USCBC agrees that the US government and private sector entities should continue working to ensure that China makes market-based decisions on technology transfer and does not infringe on US intellectual property rights, but the Section 301 tariffs have not worked,” USCBC President Craig Allen said. “The Section 301 tariffs put in place several years ago have not succeeded in changing China’s market practices, so it is unclear how continuing such tariffs and adding new ones will accomplish that goal—which is why USCBC is disappointed with the results of USTR’s four-year review, as tariffs make it harder for American companies to compete in the US and abroad, cost American jobs, increase consumer prices, and invite Chinese retaliation.”
In May, USTR announced a new but limited exclusion process.
“We are also disappointed that USTR did not meaningfully broaden its tariff exclusion process, which remains narrow and will prevent many US companies from requesting needed and common-sense relief,” Allen said.
USCBC submitted comments in June as part of the formal rulemaking process. In its filing, USCBC reaffirmed its support for USTR’s efforts addressing issues identified in the 301 report and the agency’s commitment to continue to urge China to rebalance its economy to address overcapacity, as USCBC has also been urging the Chinese government.
Established in 1973, USCBC represents many of the world’s largest brands doing business in China and for more than 50 years has advocated on behalf of its members, while promoting the many benefits of commercial exchange between the United States and China.
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