Despite the pandemic, the trade war is still on
Despite the pandemic, the trade war is still on
The COVID-19 pandemic has shuttered much of the global economy so far this year, but one thing it didn’t stop: the U.S.-China trade war. Tariffs on billions of dollars of Chinese imports stayed in effect, and further trade negotiations were paused as the world fought the outbreak.
Now, new reports say the Chinese government has ordered a stop to imports of U.S. agriculture, which the U.S. and China agreed to as part of the “phase one” trade deal back in January.
Today we hear from Gretchen Blough, a customs broker for Logistics Plus in Erie, Pennsylvania. She tells us how companies adapted to the economic uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic after nearly two years of navigating the trade war.
“Our importers are still paying that extra 301 tariff, the 232 steel and aluminum tariff and the solar panel tariff,” Blough said. “But there have been a lot of exclusions granted in the past several months, most notably with the personal protective equipment.”
Click the audio player above to hear the full story.
There’s a lot happening in the world. Through it all, Marketplace is here for you.
You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible.
Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.
