The United States said Wednesday it will extend tariff exemptions on 352 Chinese products once hit by punitive duties as a trade war flared with Beijing — alongside some Covid-related exclusions — until the end of the year.
While such exemptions on hundreds of Chinese goods initially lapsed in late 2020, President Joe Biden's administration reinstated tariffs exclusions on some goods last year.
This came as the Biden administration faced pressure from businesses and lawmakers to ease the burden of tariffs as the United States grappled with rising inflation.
Last year, the US Trade Representative (USTR) reinstated 352 of 549 expired exclusions, and a further extension meant they would expire by the end of this month.
"To provide a transition period for the expiring exclusions and to allow for further consideration" under an ongoing four-year review, the USTR said Wednesday it was appropriate to make a further extension until end-2023.
The trade conflict between the United States and China began when former president Donald Trump imposed tariffs on $370 billion worth of Chinese products, citing "unfair" trade practices.
But a number of exclusions were granted and extended.
