Biden pushes to triple tariffs on Chinese steel, aluminum

US President Joe Biden on Wednesday urged a tripling of tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminum, citing “unfair competition” as he seeks to win blue-collar votes in November’s election. Biden’s call comes as the US Trade Representative (USTR) announced it is launching a probe into China’s trade practices in the shipbuilding, maritime and logistics sectors in response to a recent petition by five US unions. The president is preparing to address steelworkers in Pittsburgh on Wednesday, the second day of a three-day trip through the crucial swing state of Pennsylvania. Both Biden and his election rival Donald Trump are competing for vital blue-collar voters, promising to revive American manufacturing. “Chinese policies and subsidies for their domestic steel and aluminum industries mean high-quality US products are undercut by artificially low-priced Chinese alternatives produced with higher emissions,” the White House said in a statement.