China trade plan lackluster—leaves plenty of questions on specifics

The lack of particulars on the widely-anticipated “top-to-bottom” policy review had espoused complaints across U.S. industries and experts. U.S. Trade Representative, Katherine Tai had kept the details under wraps for the past 8 months, instigating speculations of what the report may contain.

Having been unveiled on Monday, the policy review had been found wanting, with her only pledging to hold talks between President Joe Biden and Chinese officials which will focus on the failure of meeting the terms of President Donald Trump’s “Phase 1′ trade deal and the revival of grant exclusions process on Chinese imports.

And while Syracuse University trade economist Mary Lovely, attendee to Tai’s Washington speech said that the plan to re-engage with China was in fact a good one, she raised in a statement that “…her whole plan seems to be, ‘I’m going to have a conversation.'”

The review also made it clear that Tai will retain most of Trump’s tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars of Chinese goods as she discusses with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He. And while Tai mentioned that she will open U.S. concerns on China’s industrial subsidies, she had not disclosed the specific plans of action to tackle the policies Beijing laid out that the U.S. deems diminishing to the liberties in free trade.

Meanwhile, Tai remains steadfast and unabashed in her criticism of Beijing, alleging China’s Communist Party government of shaping its economy in accordance to the will of the state which hurts the rights of the workers in the U.S. and all over.

Democratic lawmakers and a former Trump trade official at the Center for Strategic and International Studies lauded these talking points. Stephen Vaughn, former top USTR official was quoted saying:

“What you saw today is more evidence that there’s strong bipartisan concern about the direction of our economic relationship with China,”

Nevertheless, tariff apprehensions bloomed with the lack of specifics, David French, the National Retail Federation’s Senior Vice President weighed in on the issue saying:

“Today’s long-awaited announcement proved the Biden administration’s trade strategy on China to be lackluster at most, and will further inflict unnecessary damage to the American economy and retail supply chains,”