President Donald Trump authorized tariffs of 10 percent on an additional $200 billion worth of Chinese imports on July 10, the latest move by the administration to honor the president's promise to take action against unfavorable trade practices.
The order came on the heels of Trump's July 6 decision to impose tariffs on $34 billion worth of Chinese products, which prompted China to retaliate by placing similar tariffs on $34 billion in U.S. exports to China.
"As a result of China's retaliation and failure to change its practices, the president has ordered USTR to begin the process of imposing tariffs of 10 percent on an additional $200 billion of Chinese imports," Lighthizer said.
The proposed tariffs are spelled out in a list in a Federal Register notice.
During his campaign, Trump pledged to slap tariffs on imports from countries he believed were cheating the United States.
"Any country that devalues their currency in order to take unfair advantage of the United States, and all of its companies who can't compete, will face tariffs and taxes to stop the cheating. And when they see that, they will stop the cheating," Trump said during a campaign rally in Tampa, Fla.
Over the last several months, the president has followed through with this promise.
On March 8, 2018, Trump issued proclamations adjusting imports of steel and aluminum. The proclamations created a 25 percent tariff on imported steel and a 10 percent tariff on imported aluminum, with exemptions for Canada and Mexico. The tariffs took effect March 23.
Trump said the tariffs would bolster protection for domestic metal industries considered critical to national security. Under section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, the executive branch has the authority to conduct investigations into the effects of certain imports on national security and adjust those imports as necessary.
In his proclamations, Trump cited a report from the Commerce Department detailing its investigation into the impact on national security of steel and aluminum imports. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross recommended tariffs or quotas on imported steel and aluminum, noting that employment in the domestic steel industry decreased by 35 percent during the last two decades, and the aluminum industry lost almost 60 percent of its jobs between 2013 and 2016.
"The actions we are taking today are not a matter of choice; they are a matter of necessity for our security," Mr. Trump said during a signing ceremony at the White House.
Since the March 8 proclamations, Trump has updated or tweaked the steel and aluminum tariffs multiple times with separate proclamations.
For example, in May, the president scratched previous exemptions and imposed steel and aluminum tariffs on the European Union, Canada and Mexico.
The move drew heavy criticism from both Democrats and Republicans, with many politicians and pundits arguing that Trump's "America First" protectionism would put a strain on the United States' relationships with several critical allies. Some questioned the sincerity of Trump's claim that the tariffs are essential to national security, especially after a Twitter attack of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in which Trump said the tariffs were "in response to (Trudeau's) 270% on dairy."
Trump's tariffs also triggered retaliation from the affected countries, who responded by implementing tariffs on U.S. goods, including bourbon, farm products and metals. With China, the situation has escalated into a full-scale trade war.
Regardless of what happens next, Trump has stayed true to his campaign promise. We rate this Promise Kept.