US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross slams China's trade practices
US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross has slammed China's trade practices amid the festering trade war between Washington and Beijing, saying US tariffs are forcing China to pay attention to US concerns.
Ross told a business gathering in Sydney, Australia, on Thursday that US President Donald Trump did not want to use tariffs to get China to change its ways but felt it was necessary.
"We do not love tariffs, in fact we would prefer not to use them, but after years of discussions and no action, tariffs are finally forcing China to pay attention to our concerns," Ross said.
"We could have had a deal two-and-a-half years ago without going through the whole tit-for-tat on tariffs that we have," he added.
Trump's decision last year to implement tariffs against Chinese goods entering the US has shaken global stock markets and added to uncertainty over the international economic outlook.
The Trump administration has imposed tariffs on more than $360 billion worth of Chinese goods and plans to tax an additional $160 billion of imports on December 15.
The US is also set to hike the tariff rate on $250 billion worth of Chinese goods to 30 percent from 25 percent next Tuesday.
Washington accuses Beijing of violating free trade commitments by using unfair tactics to force foreign companies to share advanced technology.
"China has refused to change its behavior," Ross said. "In fact, its global trade practices have only gotten worse.”
"If we can get China to abide by the global rules of trade, every nation in the world will benefit," he said.
Ross told Australian business leaders that the US is Australia's "most important" economic partner, not China.
"China may import more from Australia than the United States does, but their value-add to the Australian economy — and to the lives of Australians — is shockingly limited," he said.
Top US and Chinese trade and economic officials will meet in Washington on Thursday and Friday to try to resolve the escalating dispute. Negotiators had made no progress in deputy-level trade talks held on Monday and Tuesday in Washington.
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