US threatens paper tariff

Competition from low-pricesd imports of Chinese-made paper and other products such as steel, furniture, textiles and plastics may spark the US Congress to add tariffs to such products, the International Herald Tribune reported. In the coming weeks, the Commerce Department is expected to decide whether to impose duties on high-gloss paper known as "coated paper" imported from China. If imposed, the move would reverse 20 years of American trade policy in which the US refrained from charging "nonmarket economies" like China with using illegal market subsidies. Such a change would result in heavier punitive tariffs than "anti-dumping" provisions, which US Customs authorities frequently apply against imported goods sold below their true market value.