On Wednesday, the Trump administration said that it would push for a broad reset of “outdated tariff determinations” at the World Trade Organization (WTO) to arrange what it sees as years of unfair treatment of the United States.
According to the U.S. Trade Representative Robert E. Lighthizer, the Geneva-based body was “a mess” and tariff modifications set by the World Trade Organization were necessary to reflect the current economic status of the country.
“Many countries with large and developed economies maintain very high bound tariff rates, far above those levied by the United States. The disproportionately high volume of these shipments indicates China and others are likely exploiting the high U.S. de minimis threshold to avoid paying duties,” Lighthizer said in a hearing held by the U.S. House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee.
He also said that Washington would seek massive support for its plans and ideas about notification enforcement and “special and differential treatment” for other developing countries.