After the trade war between China and the US pressed the "pause" button, has Trump changed his mind? He is preparing to move the "pawn" of tariffs again to strike at China, but first, a mess has broken out within the United States, with opposition voices rising one after another.

According to Nikkei Asia, on May 19th local time, the Trump administration plans to impose a new tariff of up to 100% on Chinese cranes. This is not just idle talk; the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has already begun relevant discussions on this matter.

In fact, the U.S. side is not only targeting Chinese cranes but has also taken tough measures against charges for ships built in China, imposing high port fees on China in an attempt to revitalize America's shipbuilding industry. However, the end result is that American importers have been hurt.

Regarding the unilateral pressure exerted by the U.S. side on China, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian had clearly stated beforehand that such attempts by the U.S. side to "pass the buck" are not only unlikely to achieve the desired results but also damage the normal rights and interests of countries around the world, ultimately being counterproductive and harming both others and itself.

It is not hard to see that the Trump administration intends to repeat its old tricks. However, Trump's plan to impose additional tariffs on Chinese cranes has first faced strong opposition from American industry insiders, especially ports, construction, and logistics enterprises that rely on cranes for daily operations.

Jenkins, CEO of the Port of Houston, an important maritime hub in the U.S., told the media that if the U.S. imposes a 100% tariff on Chinese cranes, procurement costs will skyrocket, and the U.S. itself may not be able to withstand it first.

It should be noted that Chinese cranes are highly cost-effective. If the U.S. side forcibly imposes high tariffs on them, there is a high probability that the U.S. will need to significantly increase project costs and will find it difficult to find better alternatives.

In the long run, this tariff policy will not only put American companies at a disadvantage in international competition but may also trigger supply chain crises in related industries, leading to rising prices and ultimately making ordinary people the victims.

Moreover, the U.S. domestic crane industry has long since ceased to exist as it once did. In the 1980s, due to rising production costs and slow technological innovation, many American domestic crane manufacturers went bankrupt or transformed.

Nowadays, almost no domestically produced enterprise can produce large cranes in the U.S. market, and about 80% of cranes in the U.S. market come from China, while the rest come from Japan, Germany, and other countries.

Chinese cranes, with their advanced technology, reliable quality, and affordable prices, hold an important position in the global market. Clearly, American industry insiders are well aware of this reality.

Trump continues to attempt through trade protectionism, from steel and aluminum products to cars and electronic products, and now to cranes, to achieve the so-called "America First."

However, in today's globalization, where economies of various countries are closely linked, Trump's government's attempt to revive the U.S. crane industry by imposing tariffs is like trying to catch fish in a tree. What the U.S. truly needs to do is not to suppress outwardly but to find problems within itself.

Moreover, it hasn't been long since the Geneva negotiations between China and the U.S., yet the U.S. side has become restless again. Just a few days ago, they imposed a global "blockade order" on Chinese chips, showing that Trump still intends to use the approach of "talk and fight simultaneously" to increase bargaining chips in subsequent negotiations, and the essence of hegemony remains unchanged.

Notably, Trump recently mentioned wanting to visit China. However, given the current situation, the U.S. has not shown the necessary sincerity and continues to say one thing and do another. This is certainly not the right way to deal with China.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7506445542524846601/

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