US tariff probe unlikely to derail fall Xi-Trump meeting: analysts

Ongoing US tariff investigations targeting China and other global trading partners are not expected to significantly damage bilateral relations or jeopardize the planned September meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, according to analysts. The Trump administration has initiated two major Section 301 probes: one concerning forced labor across approximately 60 countries and another investigating excess capacity in 16 nations. China is included in both inquiries, alongside other key US trading partners like the EU, Japan, South Korea, and India.

Analysts suggest that China's inclusion as one among many countries targeted by these investigations makes the situation less insulting than if it were singled out. Wei Liang, a professor at the Middlebury Institute for International Studies at Monterey, noted that China is part of a broader group of nations facing these probes.

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China is just one of a group of countries. So it’s less insulting to China.

The proposed tariffs are widely seen as an effort by the US administration to re-establish import levies, following a Supreme Court decision in February that struck down previous tariffs enacted under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. This legal challenge has prompted the administration to pursue alternative avenues for imposing tariffs.

Beijing has responded with strong disapproval, warning of "necessary measures" and accusing the United States of a significant error by prioritizing domestic law over international rules. The Chinese embassy in Washington stated that the US is "once again abusing the Section 301 process."

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By once again abusing the Section 301 process and placing domestic law above international rules, the US is making a serious mistake.