US threatens retaliation for China auto import tariffs

The Obama administration threatened further tariffs on Chinese goods after Beijing announced plans to impose new import duties on sport utility vehicles and other large cars from the US, The Guardian reported. US Commerce Secretary John Bryson said, “The United States has reached a point where we cannot quietly accept China ignoring many of the trade rules. China still substantially subsidizes its own companies, discriminates against foreign companies and has poor intellectual property protections.” China announced on Wednesday that it would levy new tariffs, accusing the US of providing illegal subsidies to automakers in a massive bailout in 2008 and dumping cars on the Chinese market. The tariffs are expected to largely miss US automakers, which make most of their cars for the China market locally, and instead hurt European automakers Daimler, BMW and Fiat, which operate factories in the US.