US President Joe Biden during a speech at the headquarters of the USW steelworkers union in Pittsburgh, April 17, 2024 in Pennsylvania (AFP/ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS)
Joe Biden announced on Wednesday that he wanted to triple customs duties on steel and aluminum from China, a political choice aimed at the American working class whom he is trying to seduce this week by campaigning in Pennsylvania.
“I stand with you, the steel workers of America,” said the president from Pittsburgh, the capital of an industry threatened according to him by international competition.
The Democrat accused Beijing of “cheating” in the global steel trade to the detriment of American manufacturers and their workers, a key constituency for the Democrat ahead of the November election.
And even though Joe Biden said that there was “no trade war” with the Asian giant, his administration has, in addition to pushing to increase customs duties, and launched an investigation into Chinese measures in the shipyard sector.
With one voice, unions and employers welcomed these protectionist measures.
The metalworkers union, the United Steelworkers (USW), thanked Joe Biden for his “aggressive” action to defend their jobs.
The union announced last month to support the Democrat for the November election, accusing his opponent Donald Trump of “dismantling workers’ rights”, even though he presents himself as the champion of the revival of the American manufacturing industry.
– “They cheat” –
“Chinese steel companies don’t have to worry about making a profit because the Chinese government subsidizes them heavily,” the president said in a speech from USW headquarters in Pittsburgh.
A US Steel site in North Braddock, October 27, 2022 in Pennsylvania (AFP/Archives/Branden EASTWOOD)
“They are not competing, they are cheating. And we have seen the damage here in America,” he said.
More than 40% of manufacturing jobs have been lost since 1990 in Pennsylvania, the historic heart of American industry and one of the six key states which could, in November, swing the outcome of the election between Joe Biden and his rival Republican Donald Trump.
US Steel, the big American steel name based in this state, said it “applauds” Joe Biden’s announcement, as did the sector’s employers’ organization. The Democrat repeated on Wednesday his opposition to its takeover by the Japanese Nippon Steel.
The day before Tuesday, Joe Biden had called from his hometown of Scranton for a tax increase for the richest, marking the contrast with Donald Trump, the latter being “very busy at the moment”, tackled the Democrat on Wednesday, referring to at the trial which occupies the billionaire in New York.
The Democrat is shown campaigning on the ground, three days of media footage focused on Pennsylvania and this white working electorate which is so important to him.
– “False accusations”
But, while Donald Trump has long defended an increase in customs duties against China, his campaign team denounced on Wednesday a timely change of heart by the Democrat.
US President Joe Biden during a speech at the headquarters of the USW steelworkers union in Pittsburgh, April 17, 2024 in Pennsylvania (AFP/ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS)
“Joe Biden has spent his entire career betraying American workers,” a spokesperson for the Republican wrote in a statement. The measures announced Wednesday “are too weak and come too late,” added Karoline Leavitt.
The Democrat is proud to be at the origin, with a huge law to promote green industry, of the doubling of investments for new factories in the United States since his arrival in power in January 2021, and the creation of nearly 80,000 manufacturing jobs.
And to protect them, the current president called on Wednesday his Trade Representative (USTR) to “consider tripling the current customs duties”, of 7.5% on average, imposed on part of the steel and Chinese aluminum imported into the United States.
The Biden administration also announced an investigation into Chinese measures in “the shipbuilding, shipping and logistics sectors.”
Beijing quickly denounced “false accusations”.
The American investigation “wrongly interprets normal trade and investment activities as being harmful to national security and the interests of American companies”, said the Chinese Ministry of Commerce in a press release. The United States “blames China responsible for its own industrial problems.”
The American announcements come against a backdrop of strong rivalry with China, despite renewed dialogue between the two countries.
Asked whether these announcements will endanger the relationship he is trying to maintain with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Joe Biden replied “No.”
jul-dk-elm-ube/pno
© 2024 AFP
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