Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan

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Q A quick question on China tariffs. What is the President’s goal with his review of those tariffs? And do you expect any retaliation from China if tariffs are, in fact, raised?

MR. SULLIVAN: So, I will not get ahead of the President on this. I’ve seen, obviously, all of the reporting on it. It — it’s no secret that the President, this entire administration has been concerned about unfair practices by the PRC that harm American workers and businesses, the issue of overcapacity, the ways in which China has put in place a series of nonmarket distorting practices and strategic sectors. And he has said consistently, “I’m going to stand up and push back against that.”

And so, that’s the frame that he approaches this with. And then I’m going to leave the specifics to be announced in due course — I would say in short order.

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Q One more, if I could, on China and the tariffs that are coming. So, in July of 2019, then-candidate Biden said the tariffs on China are abusive policy. Has the President changed his mind and now believes tariffs work?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, I’m not — I’m not — I’m going to be really mindful. I’m going to — going to let — in due — in due order, you’ll — you’ll hear directly from the President, directly from us. So, don’t want to get ahead of that.

Jake said it really well when he was here: We have always had concerns on China’s unfair trade policies. We’ve been very clear about that. And the last administration, when they did the trade deal with China, what it did is it failed to increase Ameri- — American exports or boost manufacturing.

That is not something the President wants to see. He has been doing the opposite: making sure that American manufacturing is created here — right here in America. And so, that is something that he has been very focused. He says he wants to protect American workers, protect businesses — American business. That’s what the President wants to do.

He spoke about this when he was in Pittsburgh not too long ago, talking about making sure that it — we see fair business practices as it relates to American workers and American businesses. So, don’t want to get ahead of that. But we’ve been very, very clear on how we move forward on — on these types of practices — trade practices — and what we want to see. And that is the framework, as Jake Sullivan said here moments ago, that we move forward with.

Q So, he now believes tariffs work?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I’m just going to be really mindful, not get ahead of what we’re — what we’re about to announce soon. And what we have been really, really car- — clear about is protecting workers, protecting businesses, and we have called out China’s unfair trade policies. And so, we’re going to continue to do that.

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Q Thanks, Karine. I know you don’t want to get into the announcement. Can — but can you just more broadly talk about the role that tariffs play here in trying to balance protecting American workers versus consumers? Because tariffs are often a tax to consumers. So, how can you ensure Americans that with more tariffs, it doesn’t come with higher costs?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, going to let the announcement speak for itself, but what I can say about what China has played — has played here in — they’ve played by a different set of rules. And this is what we know to be — to be clear. And it has been unfair and anticompetitive economic practices.

For example, forcing technology transfers and stealing intellectual property; distorting market for- — forces with un- — un- — unrivaled subsidies, barriers, and regulations; flooding markets with artificially cheap products to wipe out the competition.

And that’s what we have seen from China with their unfair trade policies. We have done the opposite here. And what we have tried to do is invest in our Invest in America agenda — is 3- — $860 billion invested by the private sector in manufacturing and clean energy; nearly 800,000 manufacturing jobs created right here in the U.S.

So, you see the President is investing — investment in America. This is what his agenda has been all about. And I –as I stated moments ago, the Trump administration, when they went forward with their trade deal, it — what it did is it showed that — that deal with China, it failed to increase American export and boost manufacturing. We have tried to change that, reverse that.

And so, I want to be mindful. I’m not going to get into an upcoming potential announcement. And so, going to be really mindful there. But we are all about — and this President has been very clear — protecting American workers, protecting American businesses. And we’re going to continue to do that under this administration.

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Source: The White House

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