AmCham China chairman: Tariffs not the preferred approach

Trade tension between China and the US is one of the hottest topics at this year’s China Development Forum (CDF). The chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in China (AmCham China), William Zarit, said that tariffs are not their preferred approach to resolving issues.

AmCham China is non-governmental organization whose membership comprises more than 3,300 individuals from 900 companies operating across China. After the US President Donald Trump unveiled plans to slap tariffs on Chinese goods, what’s the reaction from the American business community?

“The American business community is concerned. The community also realized that something needs to be done,” Zarit said.

“I think community realized that we need to do something. [But] I would say the AmCham feels that it’s not tariffs,” Zarit told CGTN.

From Zarit’s perspective, the deficit should not be the reason behind China-US trade frictions.

Why does the US administration look at it in that way? “Because it’s easy to understand for the president and his supporters. [That’s] the same thing with tariffs. It’s a kind of simplest way of approaching the problem,” Zarit explained.

In his point of view, the structural underlining issues should be the focus. And “We will prefer a focus on reciprocal treatment,” Zarit added.

(CGTN)