Biden Administration approved increase to tariffs on Chinese goods

Pat Gallagher, President of the North Coast Area Labor Federation and a retired member of the United Steelworkers, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to talk about President Biden increasing tariffs on Chinese products and what it could mean for American workers.

The Biden Administration recently announced it will not only maintain $300 billion in tariffs on Chinese goods but also increase several tariffs by percentages. Gallagher discussed the most significant increases in tariffs, which are called ad valorem tariffs, or tariffs calculated as a percentage of the value of the goods being imported. Among these is a 100 percent tariff on electric vehicles coming from China, Gallagher said.

There are many complaints about the quality and cost of the Chinese EVs. Gallagher explained that the poor quality of steel used in production means that Chinese companies can charge less than half the cost of American companies. The ability to import excess Chinese goods destroys a competitive market for American companies. However, these tariffs should even out the market, Gallagher said. He also discussed trade law issues that resulted in organizations such as the USW filing unfair trade petitions.

As President of the North Coast Area Labor Federation, Gallagher is focused on the upcoming November General Election. He talked about what the North Coast Area Labor Federation is doing for the ballot initiative Citizens not Politicians. The initiative is on pace to obtain enough signatures to be put on Ohio’s statewide ballot in November, Gallagher said. He explained that this initiative and other political endorsements do not get approved until all the NCALF’s affiliated unions approve. Gallagher said that at the end of the day, a person’s political affiliation does not matter; the only thing that matters is being pro-worker.

For more from Gallagher, listen to the show above.