Biden Accuses China of "Cheating"

U.S. President Joe Biden accused Chinese steel companies of "cheating" to keep prices low. During statements in front of the Steelworkers Union in Pittsburgh, Biden said, "Chinese steel companies do not need to worry about making profits because the Chinese government provides huge support to them. They are not competing; they are cheating." He emphasized that he does not wish to enter a trade war with China, following plans to increase tariffs on steel and aluminum from Beijing, a clear signal to a group of voters he needs to support him in his campaign for a new term. Biden also urged the U.S. Trade Representative to consider increasing the tariffs on some imports of Chinese steel and aluminum, which currently average 7.5%, by three times. He stressed that there should be no trade war, in remarks to reporters during a campaign stop in his hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania, in response to a question about whether he feared that raising tariffs would lead to a confrontation with the second-largest economy in the world.