By Hu Zexi, People’s Daily
US business owners voiced against Washington’s proposed additional tariffs on $300 billion worth of imported Chinese goods, claiming that the move would disrupt their supply chains, and they can’t move the supply chains out of China.
The business representatives from various fields including publishing, chemical industry, seafood industry, and sport products said they have no alternative partner but China, when they were advised to move their supply chains to Vietnam or Mexico by government officials at a hearing held by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) on June 18.
A paint brush maker from Ohio said it’s impossible for it to find suppliers outside China, for its brushes are made with a special kind of bristles which can only be produced in southwest China. The company has cooperated with its Chinese suppliers since 1892.
Daniel Reynolds, CEO of New York-based Workman Publishing Company, brought to the hearing some children’s books which involve cutting-edge designs of the industry and require higher standards of printing techniques.
The books have to be produced in China, said Reynolds, explaining that they don’t have other choices, because the unique designs, new materials and strict standards for bookbinding cannot be realized elsewhere.
Children’s books have been reviving in the US, thanks to the innovative designs, said Reynolds, expressing the concern that it would be more difficult to reduce American children’s screen time if these books are to be included in the tariff list.
Some business representatives were shocked that their government’s decisions could be so inconstant.
Robert DeHaan, Vice President of Government Affairs& General Counsel at National Fisheries Institute attended a hearing held by the USTR last August, when opposition from the industry helped exempt some seafood products that are not produced in China from tariffs. However, this time, the seafood items were added to the tariff list again.
It took great pains to prepare for and attend the hearings repeatedly, expressed Jessica Wasserman, who took part in the hearing representing three small and medium-sized US food companies which need to import pine nuts from China. She said they don’t like to repeat such processes.
