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EXPLAINER-How hard will new Biden tariffs struck China?

U.S. President Joe Biden is set to announce brand-new China tariffs as quickly as Tuesday, targeting sectors consisting of electrical automobiles, medical products and solar equipment, according to individuals familiar with the matter. The expected relocation by the Biden administration comes ahead of the November presidential election. Biden, a Democrat seeking reelection, has taken a toughonChina method that would keep existing tariffs on many Chinese items set by former President Donald Trump, his expected Republican challenger.

The effect on Chinese markets, however, is expected to be restricted.

DOES CHINA EXPORT EVS TO THE UNITED STATES?

Very few. In the very first quarter, Geely was the only Chinese automaker to export to the United States with 2,217 cars and trucks, according to data from the China Automobile Association.

Geely, which has sold some EVs in the U.S. market under its Polestar brand, did not immediately respond to an ask for comment. China's Geely and Sweden's Volvo Cars founded EV maker Polestar Automotive, which makes the majority of its cars and trucks in China. Volvo is majority-owned by Geely. Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath informed last month the business is speeding up efforts to produce more automobiles outside China. Polestar goes for a sales breakdown of 40% in Europe, 30%. in the United States and 30% in the Asia-Pacific area, he. stated.

Ingenlath informed in 2015 that Polestar will start. production in South Carolina for U.S. and European markets from. 2024.

ARE NEW TARIFFS A HAZARD TO CHINA'S SOLAR MARKET?

The market is small for China and exports to the United. States have actually undergone tariffs for more than a decade. Further tasks were also just recently imposed on numerous Chinese. solar panel makers who finished their panels in Southeast Asia.

Over 80% of photovoltaic panel manufacturing now takes place in. China, and the cost of making a panel in China is 60% less expensive. than in the U.S., according to the Center for Strategic and. International Studies, a Washington think tank.

Last year, China exported $3.35 million solar batteries to the. U.S., less than 0.1% of China's overall exports. Outbound. shipments of finished photovoltaic panels to the U.S. stood at $13.15. million in 2023, just 0.03% of China's photovoltaic panel exports.

Industry observers stated the equipment to produce solar. panels includes a complicated supply chain. How the brand-new U.S. tariffs affect sales of that devices will depend upon the. details of the U.S. trade levy, they stated.

WHAT ABOUT MEDICAL PRODUCT? Chinese-made medical products such as syringes and personal. protective equipment also deal with additional U.S. tariffs, sources. knowledgeable about the decision said.

According to WTO data, China exported $30.9 billion medical. items to the United States in 2022, accounting for about one. 5th of China's overall exports of medical items.

The anticipated tariffs belong to the Biden administration's. more comprehensive technique to protect the U.S. versus supply shortages. seen during the pandemic that left hospitals rushing to discover. vital devices, the sources said. In December, the United States Trade Agent announced a. additional extension of China-related Section 301 tariff. exclusions up until May 31.

The American Medical Manufacturers Association has called. for these exclusions to be withdrawed, arguing they are no longer. needed to deal with a COVID-19 emergency situation. The association says. American makers need the possibility to take on imports. on a more equal opportunity.

MORE TARIFFS ON METAL PRODUCTS? Biden in April likewise called for tripling U.S. tariffs on Chinese. metal items. That would use to more than $1 billion worth. of steel and aluminium items, a U.S. official stated.