Section 301 Developing News
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Last month we left off with an understanding of where the United States and China currently stand in the Section 301 trade war. At the beginning of the year the United States initially planned to increase rates on list three items to 25%. However, the United States granted a 90 day period in which the rates on list three items would remain at 10%, allowing more time for an agreement to be made between both countries before raising the rates. The two countries are still trying to come to an agreement. Below are some updates on the trade war.
On Monday February 11, “the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 53.22 points lower at 25,053.11, giving up an earlier gain of 90 points. The S&P 500 ended the day up less than 0.1 percent at 2,709.80 as gains in the industrials sector were capped by losses in health care and communications services. The Nasdaq Composite closed 0.1 percent higher at 7,307.90” according to CNBC. The United States is halted at a waiting point and not much fluctuation will occur as people are just waiting out to see the likelihood of a trade deal.
There is speculation that the two Presidents will meet in Florida within the next month or so. This week the United States and China will continue to try and strike a deal by focusing specifically on intellectual property. United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer wishes to operate in an environment where technology, innovation, and know-how are all protected.
Analysts expect a deal as early as the end of this month. China needs a deal badly to calm the United States’ President from imposing another round of tariffs on imports from China. It has been reported that last month, the Chinese economy grew at it’s slowest pace in 28 years.
A deal is on the horizon and drastic changes are in the near future. Stay updated on Section 301 news here on the DutyCalc blog.
Update Section 301
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The trade war between the U.S. and China continues to impact economies on both sides. Tariffs have caused the U.S. stock market to plummet as the changes have led to a disruption in supply chain for major companies like Amazon, Facebook, and Apple. In China, analysts have reported that economic growth has slowed to its lowest in ten years. Sure, investors and shareowners are worried, but the two countries are making progress towards repairing the trade relationship.
It has been confirmed that on December 1, 2018 the U.S. and China reached an agreement to delay an increase on list three products. The increase of 10% to 25% on U.S. products was originally set to begin on January 1st. However, according to the White House, there will be a 90-day extension. If no agreement is made within those 90 days, rates will then rise to 25%.
In addition, China has agreed to, “purchase a not yet agreed upon, but very substantial amount of agricultural, energy, industrial and other product from the United States to reduce the trade imbalance” (Crowell Moring). This agreement from China may be a policy change or may be left up to private sector entities. The commitment has not yet been confirmed.
Lastly, during the December 1st meeting China also agreed to reduce the tariffs on U.S. automobile exports down from 40%.
There is still a significant gap between what the U.S. is seeking and what China is willing to offer, but these minor changes and progressions seem to hint at a solution. What happens within the next 90 days will give us an idea of what might happen in the near future.
For more information on the Section 301 tariffs and updates on the U.S. – China trade war, check back in to the DutyCalc blog.
