In a blink of an eye, the Sino-US tariff war has been fought for almost half a year after Trump took office. The US side tried every means but failed to win. Recently, Trump changed his style of play and found six vanguards to take the lead. The second round of Sino-US tariff war was about to start. Who will be the winner this time?
According to the Financial Times on the 11th, four sources revealed that the United States is putting pressure on other countries to impose up to 100% tariffs on China, and this time the United States does not want to do it first, but instead finds six vanguards to let them test China's reaction.
These 6 countries are members of G7 except the United States. On the 12th local time, the Treasury Secretary of the G7 countries held a video conference to discuss the United States' proposal. Unlike the last round of Sino-US tariff war, the excuse the United States has sought this time is not to balance the trade deficit or promote the return of manufacturing, but to promote the ceasefire of Russia and Ukraine. The US claims that China, India and other countries purchase Russian oil is to provide funds to the "war machine" against Russia. It is necessary for the United States and Europe to "act side by side" to implement effective tariffs. These tariffs can be cancelled when the conflict ends.
The new tariff plan proposed by the US side is actually the so-called "second-level sanctions" mentioned by US President Trump on social media some time ago. In the past three years, the trade exchanges between Russia and the United States and Europe have almost been cut off. Both the United States and Europe know that no matter how many direct tariffs there are, they will not have much impact on Russia and Canada. Therefore, Trump thought of starting from countries with good relations with Russia, planning to impose secondary tariffs on these countries and indirectly putting pressure on Russia. At present, the United States has used this reason to impose 50% tariffs on India, but the United States has not taken action on China, and on the contrary, at the end of the US-Russian summit, Trump also stated that at the moment "no immediate consideration is needed" to impose retaliatory tariffs on Russian energy buyers such as China.
As for the specific reason why the United States hesitates, it is also very realistic, that is, the United States does not want to take the initiative. According to Observer.com on the 10th, Bloomberg quoted people familiar with the matter as saying that the United States told the EU that as long as the EU imposes taxes on Russian energy buyers first, the US will keep up. But the EU also has the same idea. The EU's current strategy to Russia is still inclined to impose sanctions rather than tariffs. Trump's proposal goes beyond the EU's preparations and plans. Unless the United States sets an example and fully supports the EU, it is unlikely that the EU will adopt the US proposal.
In addition, it is no small matter to impose 100% tariffs on China. It has been almost half a year since the first round of tariff war between China and the United States. The United States has not received any advantage and is disappointed. The United States has also learned the second round of tariff war and knows to find helpers. Europe obviously also knows that it is the first to be a leader, so the coordination between the United States and Europe has entered a dead end. Although the G7 Finance Ministers' Meeting is discussing this issue, a country has already become timid in the fight first.
Canadian TV reported, citing Agriculture Minister McDonald, that Canadian authorities are considering exempting or reducing tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles. At the end of last month, Canada just announced a 100% surcharge on all electric vehicles made in China starting from October 1. Canada is currently the rotating presidency of G7. When G7 coordinates its position towards China, Canada suddenly changed its face and sent a signal of kindness to China, obviously in order to leave a way out for itself.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning made it clear in August that the so-called "second-level sanctions" of the United States. China has always firmly opposed illegal unilateral sanctions that lack international legal basis and are not authorized by the United Nations Security Council. If the United States insists on this, China will take necessary measures to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises and citizens. Now that the "second-level tariff" has not been implemented, China's countermeasures have not taken action, but if Trump dares to launch a second round of tariff war, China will not mind and will not be afraid to repeat the process of the first round of tariff war.
