During a speech at the U.S. Steelworkers headquarters in the city, Biden said he would ask U.S. Trade Representative Hatherine Tai to consider the move and consider tripling Chinese tariffs on steel and aluminum from their current rate of 7.5 percent if the United States Trade Representative (USTR) determines in an ongoing investigation that the Chinese carry out unfair trade practices in the steel and aluminum sector.

In the opinion of the White House, US workers face “unfair competition” in Chinese imports, weakening high-quality domestic products.

At a time when the United States and China are trying to overcome tensions, Biden told reporters that he is not worried that possible tariffs may affect his relationship with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping.

The United States Trade Representative announced on Wednesday that following a petition filed with the USTR Office by five national unions, it is launching an investigation into alleged acts, policies, and practices by China to dominate the maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors.

The Chinese Ministry of Commerce expressed deep dissatisfaction in this regard and warned that it firmly opposes the Section 301 investigation undertaken by the United States, adding that Washington’s request is full of false accusations.

The ministry urged the United States to respect multilateral facts and rules, immediately stop its erroneous practices, and return to the rules-based multilateral trading system.

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