Dem
51
GOP
49
One of the things Donald Trump did that was popular with some voters is slap tariffs on imports from China. Joe Biden knows that and has decided adopting Trump's China policy might be a winner. So yesterday in Pittsburgh, in a speech to steelworkers, Biden said he wants to triple the tariffs on some steel and aluminum products from China to protect American manufacturers and their workers. Biden is also planning to tackle those Chinese companies that first ship their products to Mexico and then import them tariff-free from Mexico. Many of these products are highly subsidized by the Chinese government, something that U.S. companies have long complained about.
If both Biden and Trump announce that they will increase tariffs on Chinese products, that will sort of cancel out and make it less of a campaign issue. If Biden actually does it before the election, it will be clear he means it, too. That will be popular with not only steelworkers, but with workers in any manufacturing industry that has to compete with Chinese imports. (V)