Officials have now confirmed to reporters that the Biden administration will impose new tariffs on Chinese imports of electric vehicles (EVs) and solar cells, two key components of the administration’s efforts to reduce U.S. emissions.
In order to compensate for Chinese export practices, which they claim benefit Chinese automakers at the expense of U.S. automakers and autoworkers and are causing a massive surge of underpriced Chinese vehicles into foreign markets, officials on the call stated that tariffs on Chinese EV imports will increase from 25% to 100%.
Officials stated on the call that the administration will also increase tariffs on Chinese solar cell imports by twofold, to fifty percent.
This increase is intended to counterbalance China’s current 70 percent share of global solar production, they indicated.
The EV tariffs are largely symbolic, given that Chinese imports have been largely excluded by the existing tariffs.
They occur a few months after President Biden ordered an investigation into potential national security hazards associated with internet-capable Chinese-made vehicles, including electric vehicles, in February.
The administration has established ambitious objectives to decrease greenhouse gas emissions in the United States and accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs), all the while attempting to allay apprehensions among auto industry stakeholders regarding potential job losses.
Conversely, Biden extended the solar cell tariffs that former President Trump initially implemented in 2018 until 2022.
If re-elected next year, Trump has personally pledged to implement a severe round of tariffs on Chinese imports, which will include a 100 percent duty on all vehicles produced in Mexico by Chinese manufacturers.
[READ MORE: Bill O’Reilly Tells Trump to Avoid ‘Crazyland’ During Campaign Season]
