Sharp tariff hikes on imports from China, including a 100 percent duty on electric vehicles (EVs), will take effect on Sept. 27, the Biden administration confirmed on Friday.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) confirmed most of the increased rates that the White House had announced in May, with some adjustments to the list.
From Sept. 27, the tariff on EVs imported from China will quadruple from 25 percent to 100 percent.
The USTR also confirmed a 100 percent tariff on needles and syringes, 50 percent tariffs on semiconductors, solar cells, facemasks, and surgical gloves, and 25 percent tariffs on EV and other batteries, battery parts, critical minerals, steel and aluminum products, and ship-to-shore cranes.
Some of the increases will take effect on Sept. 27 while others will take effect on Jan.1 of the next two years.
Announcing the decision on Friday Ambassador Katherine Tai said in a statement that the tariff increases will target Beijing’s “harmful policies and practices” and “underscore the Biden–Harris Administration’s commitment to standing up for American workers and businesses in face of unfair trade practices.”
Lael Brainard,the top White House economic adviser,told Reuters that decision was made to ensure that US EV industry diversifies away from China’s dominant supply chain.She said such “tough,targeted”tariffs are needed to counteract China’s state-driven subsidies & technology transfer policies which have led overinvestment & excess production capacity.However Washington is investing hundreds billions dollars in its own tax subsidies develop domestic EV,solar,& semiconductor sectors.“The hundred %tariff electric vehicles here does reflect very significant unfair cost advantage Chinese electric vehicles,in particular are using dominate car markets at breathtaking pace other parts world,”Brainard said.“That’s not going take place here under vice president’s & president’s leadership.”
Biden administration first announced tariff hikes May after USTR—following four-year review Trump-era tariffs Chinese goods—recommended President Joe Biden keep all tariffs add more.USRT announced exemption ship-to-shore crane imports purchased before May14 this year as long as cranes enter United States before May14 ,2026.Office cited feedback saying it often takes more than two years fulfill these orders.As planned fifty %duty semiconductors from China will take effect Jan1 ,2025.Also twenty-five %tariffs natural graphite permanent magnets non-EV batteries will take effect Jan1 ,2026.USTR previously proposed rate least twenty-five %facemasks medical gloves least fifty %syringes needles.Tariff rate facemasks now increase twenty-five% this month fifty%in2026.Rate gloves be fifty%in2025 one-hundred%in2026.Rate syringes needles go up one-hundred%this month although one-year exclusion granted enteral syringes.USRT also expanded Machinery Exclusion Process include additional types machines needed domestic manufacturing.In May USRT tightened exemptions tariffs ending exclusion tariff lines where comments didn’t show products were unavailable outside China or didn’t show further extension could aid efforts shift sourcing out China near future
