The United States is resorting to its old tactic of "fighting while negotiating."
Multiple foreign media outlets reported today that the U.S. is considering imposing a 7.5% tariff on Chinese goods, citing so-called "overcapacity" in China's manufacturing sector. If implemented, tariffs imposed by Trump during his second term would be restored to around 20%.
A month ago, the Trump administration imposed a 12.5% tariff on Chinese goods under the pretext of so-called "forced labor." At the time, China exercised great restraint and did not immediately announce countermeasures. Yet just one month later, the U.S. has escalated further, now using the alleged "overcapacity" issue as an excuse to impose even higher tariffs, attempting to pressure China into concessions through extreme intimidation.
From what we can see now, the U.S. has no genuine intention of resolving issues through dialogue. Instead, it aims to use the facade of "negotiating" to calm China down while simultaneously taking aggressive actions to secure tangible benefits. Before the current trade truce expires on November 10, the U.S. seeks to maximize its leverage in negotiations with China. Its insincere approach of "fighting while negotiating" will inevitably fail to yield any fair economic and trade consensus.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1874471894593738/
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