CHINA/TARIFFS/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration is putting together a package of anti-China measures, including tariffs on at least an annual $30 billion of Chinese imports, to pressure Beijing to end requirements that U.S. companies transfer technology to Chinese firms.
According to a White House official and people briefed on administration deliberations, the measures are the next part of an administration trade policy aimed at reducing the enormous U.S. trade deficit. President Donald Trump has said that he wants China to come up with a plan to slash its $375 billion merchandise trade surplus with the U.S. by $100 billion.
The measures, which are expected to be announced in the next week or two, arise from administration findings that China has violated U.S. intellectual property laws and has unfairly pressured U.S. companies to transfer technology. The administration, according to the individuals involved, estimates the damage to U.S. companies from forced technology transfer at $30 billion annually. The administration has been working for months on a report laying out the evidence for their allegations.
No final decisions about retaliation have yet been made, according to a White House spokeswoman.The measures being considered include: tariffs of at least an annual $30 billion on a wide range of Chinese products; strengthened restrictions on Chinese investment into the U.S.; and limits on visas to Chinese students, academics and executives to visit or study in the U.S., said individuals briefed on the measures.”
–Bob Davis and Michael C. Bender, “Trump Takes Aim at Next Tariff Target: China,” The Wall Street Journal online, Mar. 15, 2018, 5:30am