U.S.-China Trade Tensions Continue to Escalate
Wendy Cutler on Bloomberg
On March 22, 2018, ASPI Vice President Wendy Cutler joined Bloomberg Daybreak: Australia to discuss the potential repercussions following the Trump administration’s recent announcement of potential tariffs on $60 billion of imports.
She says that China will inevitably retaliate against the tariffs through regulatory barriers which could “make it difficult for U.S. business to operate in China” and potentially harm U.S. consumers. Cutler affirms the validity of the Trump administration’s concerns about China’s unfair trade practices including weak protections for intellectual property and forced technology transfer, noting the issue is “getting worse.”
However, she disagrees with current U.S. approach of imposing unilateral tariffs on China, noting that instead, the United States should work with other countries to form a “united front” to address these issues. Though Cutler expresses concern at the rising tensions, she believes that “at the end of the day, no one wants a trade war” and is hopeful that the United States, China, and their trading partners will find a way forward. (6 min, 36 sec.)