WASHINGTON: The United States again has extended tariff exemptions for hundreds of Chinese products, said US trade officials on Tuesday.
The United States Trade Representative (USTR) said in a statement the exemptions, which earlier had been extended until December 31, will now be prolonged extended through May 31, 2024.
The USTR said the decision will enable the orderly sunsetting of the exclusions.
The business group Americans for Free Trade welcomed the extension and said that it would provide some economic relief for American businesses.
The original sanctions were imposed during the administration of former US President Donald Trump, which levied tariffs on $370 billion worth of Chinese items, citing unfair trade practices.
READ ALSO: Gaza Death Toll Surpasses 20,915 as Israel Continues Targeting Civilian Infrastructures
However, USTR setup a process for requesting and granting exclusions from those measures.
The extensions announced Tuesday are related to 352 Chinese items once hit by punitive duties, plus another 77 Covid-related exclusions.
Tensions between the US and China have increased in recent years as both sides clashed on issues ranging from human rights to export controls.
Soon after the summit of US and Chinese presidents, Joe Biden and Xi Jinping in November, US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo held talks with Chinese counterpart Wang Wentao and vowed more in-person talks in early 2024.
The US says its export curbs, which focus at reducing China’s access to advanced chips critical to the development of artificial intelligence (AI) tech and cutting-edge arms, are a national security measure.
But Beijing has rejected dismissed those concerns, with Xi telling Biden in November that such measures hurt China’s legitimate interests.
