Delivers speech in ‘Steel City’ Pittsburgh

From NBC News — By Gabe Gutierrez, Bianca Seward and Zoë Richards —

President Joe Biden called for tripling tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminum Wednesday, April 17, when he spoke to union members in battleground Pennsylvania.

In remarks at the headquarters of the United Steel Workers, Biden said that China was “cheating” in its steel trade practices and that the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative — the federal agency charged with developing U.S. trade policy — is investigating the Chinese government’s practices tied to the trade of steel and aluminum.

“If that investigation confirms these anti-competitive trade practices, then I’m calling on her to consider tripling the tariff rates for both steel imports and aluminum imports from China,” Biden said of U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai.

Biden is in the middle of a three-day swing through the state focusing on economic issues, while his opponent, former President Donald Trump, faces jury selection in New York in his trial on charges he falsified business records to cover up an alleged affair with an adult film star.

The Biden administration says China is overproducing goods to export to the U.S., driving down prices and hurting the American economy because higher-quality U.S. products must compete with artificially low-priced alternatives.

“For too long, the Chinese government has poured state money into Chinese steel companies, pushing them to make so much steel, as much as possible, subsidized by the Chinese government,” Biden said April 17. “They’re not competing. They’re cheating. They’re cheating. And we’ve seen the damage here in America.”

The current average tariff on steel and aluminum from China is 7.5%.

Asked by NBC News whether he was concerned the new steel tariffs would hurt his relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Biden said he wasn’t.

Biden is also directing his administration to work with Mexico to prevent China’s evasion of tariffs on steel and aluminum that’s imported from Mexico into the U.S. The trade representative’s office is also launching an investigation into China’s trade practices in the shipbuilding, maritime and logistics sectors.

Still, critics argue increased tariffs would backfire and raise consumer prices and inflation. China has denied the overcapacity accusation as “groundless,” and it accuses the U.S. of trying to prevent global competition.

“If taken, these actions will not increase inflation,” a senior administration official said. “But they will protect American jobs and the steel industry.”

PHOTO CAPTION (ABOVE): White House photo | President Biden announces in Pittsburgh April 17 that the Office of the U.S. Trade is investigating whether China is engaging in anti–competitive trade practices. “If (it is), then I’m calling … to consider tripling the tariff rates for both steel imports and aluminum imports from China.”