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"We
are looking at it. In fact, the president has asked us on his
team to analyze that. And so we are in the process of doing that
for him and he will have to make that decision," Raimondo told
CNN in an interview on Sunday when asked about whether the Biden
administration was weighing lifting tariffs on China to ease
inflation.
"There are other products - household goods, bicycles, etc - and
it may make sense" to weigh lifting tariffs on those, she said,
adding the administration had decided to keep some of the
tariffs on steel and aluminum to protect U.S. workers and the
steel industry.
Biden has said he is considering removing some of the tariffs
imposed on hundreds of billions of dollars worth of Chinese
goods by his predecessor in 2018 and 2019 amid a bitter trade
war between the world's two largest economies.
China has also been arguing that tariff reductions would cut
costs for American consumers.
Raimondo also told CNN she felt the ongoing semiconductor chip
shortage could likely continue until 2024.
"There is one solution (to the semiconductor chip shortage)",
she added. "Congress needs to act and pass the Chips Bill. I
don't know why they are delaying."
The legislation aims to ramp up U.S. semiconductor manufacturing
to give the United States more of a competitive punch against
China.
Raimondo said she disagreed with the characterization that
Biden's $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan had contributed to
the current high inflation. Congress passed the COVID-19 relief
package a year ago before it was signed into law, marking a
signature achievement of Biden's first year in office.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Nick
Zieminski)
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