• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

U.S. Treasury has borrowed $155 billion every month of this fiscal year—and is now paying $24 billion a week in interest on its debts

2

Top Iranian officials admitted to the supreme leader that the U.S. naval blockade was crushing the economy, report says, as Trump eyes reimposing it

3

Billionaire MacKenzie Scott just donated $20 million to support America’s youth mental health, as a fifth of teens struggle with suicidal thoughts

1

U.S. Treasury has borrowed $155 billion every month of this fiscal year—and is now paying $24 billion a week in interest on its debts

2

Top Iranian officials admitted to the supreme leader that the U.S. naval blockade was crushing the economy, report says, as Trump eyes reimposing it

3

Billionaire MacKenzie Scott just donated $20 million to support America’s youth mental health, as a fifth of teens struggle with suicidal thoughts
CommentaryThe Biden administration

Indecision on China is costing Americans

By
Jason Oxman
Jason Oxman
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Jason Oxman
Jason Oxman
Down Arrow Button Icon
July 19, 2022, 8:10 AM ET
Manufacturing technology products is a global effort. Even when designed by U.S. companies or on U.S. soil, most products require components built elsewhere.
Manufacturing technology products is a global effort. Even when designed by U.S. companies or on U.S. soil, most products require components built elsewhere.Chris Ratcliffe—Bloomberg/Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

The tech industry had high ambitions for a U.S.-China trade deal when the Trump Administration announced a Phase One agreement in 2020. But despite that early step and even with a change in administration and a new focus on global engagement, the U.S.-China trade war continues, costing Americans $129 billion and counting.

With reports that the President is yet again weighing the next steps on these costly tariffs and that a decision is imminent, the Biden Administration should address the growing U.S. economic crisis by removing legacy tariffs that are raising prices and harming U.S. companies.

These tariffs have taxed U.S. consumers and undermined global commerce. The previous administration justified the tariffs by claiming (incorrectly) that China paid them. The current administration apparently needs reminding that Americans have paid dearly, with tariff-related costs reaching $1,200 annually for an average family. That was unacceptable in the past, and today, rising inflation makes it untenable. 

Critically, the China trade deal afforded the Biden Administration a clear opportunity to rescind the tariffs on Chinese goods implemented by the previous administration by using its current Section 301 investigation.

President Biden campaigned on implementing a comprehensive, strategic, and coalition-based approach to China that benefits the U.S. economy, U.S. workers, and the supply chain. However, published reports of conflicting internal opinions within the administration suggest that the current prevailing view is that tariffs are necessary to create a robust China strategy. While tariffs may be a hypothetical future bargaining chip, the deleterious impact of such tariffs on a U.S. economy in crisis is already being felt across the board.

The so-called Smoot-Hawley tariffs, signed into law by President Hoover in 1930, raised prices for U.S. consumers on tens of thousands of imported goods, sparked a global trade war that reduced GDP in the U.S., and are widely credited with extending the Great Depression.

With costs on the rise, the administration cannot keep kicking the can down the road. It is past time to implement a new approach to China, starting with tariff relief.

With China’s role in global manufacturing, any adjustments to bilateral trade have outsized effects. Charging tariffs as high as 25% on some imports hikes consumer costs up.

For the tech industry and its customers, tariffs came at a steep price. Information and communications technologies depend on imported goods like sensors, switches, routers, and semiconductors, and are therefore subject to these unnecessary taxes.

The truth is manufacturing technology products is a global effort. Even when designed by U.S. companies or on U.S. soil, most products require components built elsewhere, and many elements needed for the boldest infrastructure projects must come from overseas.

The economic harm of maintaining these costly tariffs is compounded by the administration’s move to block globally sourced equipment from the recently enacted broadband infrastructure law, which was designed to reach tens of millions of unserved Americans with critical broadband access but is at risk because of administration trade policies.

The prior administration (correctly) moved to block Chinese-owned equipment from broadband networks. But the current administration shockingly blocks equipment from allied nations, trading partners, and even U.S. companies that globally source parts unavailable in this country. Like tariffs on imported goods, these “Buy America” policies sound good as talking points but have a real impact on prices, in this case by raising the costs of broadband deployment by 25%. 

The tech industry’s products and services kept the world moving during the pandemic’s darkest days. Continued internal deliberations and proclamations from the White House of a China strategy that does not address important trade issues and economic realities are adding up to missed opportunities and lost momentum, especially as inflation hits Americans’ pocketbooks.

When President Roosevelt reversed his predecessor’s economically harmful policies and removed the Smoot-Hawley tariffs, U.S. exports to overseas markets, which had been reduced by almost two-thirds, quickly recovered and sparked an economic recovery. We need such bold action today before a recession hits.

It is time for President Biden to do what is right for average Americans: Get rid of the tariffs, stop erecting barriers to global trade, and transform China strategy ambitions into real policy that will benefit U.S. consumers, companies, and the economy.

The pieces are all in place to end these costly tariffs once and for all: demonstrated need and impact, bipartisan support, and an American public asking for relief. What are we waiting for?

 Jason Oxman is the president and CEO of the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI).

The opinions expressed in Fortune.com commentary pieces are solely the views of their authors and do not reflect the opinions and beliefs of Fortune.

More must-read commentary published by Fortune:

  • COVID got me. Will it come for you?
  • Why remote work will win this fall
  • A list of companies supporting abortion rights after the Roe v. Wade ruling shows which firms are stepping up, and why
  • Career hoarding is on the rise—but it comes at a cost
  • Are billionaires just lucky?
Sign up for the Fortune Features email list so you don’t miss our biggest features, exclusive interviews, and investigations.
About the Author
By Jason Oxman
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Commentary

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Commentary

usa
Commentary250 Years of Innovation
For 250 years, work defined American identity. That era Is ending
By Keith Ferrazzi and Wendy SmithJuly 11, 2026
12 hours ago
m
Commentarymedicine
America’s bone health is quietly headed for a $19 billion crisis
By Matthew T. DrakeJuly 9, 2026
3 days ago
t
CommentaryEducation
AI is about to disrupt millions of jobs. A century ago, America’s answer was to build a new high school
By Tim KnowlesJuly 8, 2026
4 days ago
amit
CommentaryVenture Capital
Physical AI’s $50 trillion opportunity requires long-term conviction, but the payoff is huge 
By Amit ChaturvedyJuly 8, 2026
4 days ago
heat
Commentaryclimate change
McKinsey Global Institute: Climate planning has prioritized floods. Heat demands equal attention
By Sylvain Johansson, Mekala Krishnan, Kanmani Chockalingam and Annabel FarrJuly 7, 2026
5 days ago
j
CommentaryEducation
AI didn’t break higher education—It exposed the credential trap
By Jason BenedictJuly 7, 2026
5 days ago

Most Popular

U.S. Treasury has borrowed $155 billion every month of this fiscal year—and is now paying $24 billion a week in interest on its debts
Economy
U.S. Treasury has borrowed $155 billion every month of this fiscal year—and is now paying $24 billion a week in interest on its debts
By Eleanor PringleJuly 10, 2026
2 days ago
Top Iranian officials admitted to the supreme leader that the U.S. naval blockade was crushing the economy, report says, as Trump eyes reimposing it
Middle East
Top Iranian officials admitted to the supreme leader that the U.S. naval blockade was crushing the economy, report says, as Trump eyes reimposing it
By Jason MaJuly 10, 2026
1 day ago
Billionaire MacKenzie Scott just donated $20 million to support America’s youth mental health, as a fifth of teens struggle with suicidal thoughts
Success
Billionaire MacKenzie Scott just donated $20 million to support America’s youth mental health, as a fifth of teens struggle with suicidal thoughts
By Emma BurleighJuly 9, 2026
2 days ago
Wyoming officials say Meta’s 715,000-square-foot data center is responsible for contaminating its water system with a rare bacterium
Environment
Wyoming officials say Meta’s 715,000-square-foot data center is responsible for contaminating its water system with a rare bacterium
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 10, 2026
1 day ago
Americans are quietly abandoning the daily habit that billionaires say set them up for success—and it could have lasting consequences
Success
Americans are quietly abandoning the daily habit that billionaires say set them up for success—and it could have lasting consequences
By Preston ForeJuly 11, 2026
12 hours ago
'The first time ever in my career': Senior Citi executive on why the ultrawealthy want to diversify away from America
Banking
'The first time ever in my career': Senior Citi executive on why the ultrawealthy want to diversify away from America
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 11, 2026
11 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.