CHINA/TARIFFS/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration is looking at tariffs and investment restrictions as a way to pressure China to strengthen protection of American intellectual property, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer told House lawmakers worried about a brewing trade war.
A decision on penalties will come in “the very near future,” Mr. Lighthizer said in testimony before the House Ways and Means Committee. The Wall Street Journal has reported that the administration plans to announce its measures on Thursday [3-22-18]…Mr. Lighthizer said the administration had developed a computer algorithm to help the U.S. trade office decide which Chinese products to hit with tariffs. The goal is to pressure China to change practices, he said, while limiting harm to U.S. consumers and companies.”
–Bob David, “Trump Administration Tells Lawmakers China Trade Actions Are Needed,” The Wall Street Journal online, Mar. 21, 2018 1:02pm