Trump lists what constitutes non-tariff cheating

US President Donald Trump posted an eight-point list of what he described as “non-tariff cheating” on his Truth Social account Sunday, supposedly warning countries seeking exemptions from new import taxes. The list targets several trade practices that Trump says are disadvantageous to American manufacturers.

Trump’s eight-point document mentions trade behaviors that he believes, while not involving direct tariffs, indirectly impact US exports. Topping the list is currency manipulation, a long-standing accusation against countries that allegedly devalue their currencies to make exports cheaper and imports, especially from the US, more expensive. 

The POTUS was likely pointing a finger towards China, which economists believe could devalue the renminbi to try to support local businesses that now have to shun away from US markets, due to tariffs.

Trump insists countries are unfairly competing against the US

The list also targets value-added taxes (VATs), which are common in many economies. According to Trump, the practice of taxing imports while rebating VATs on exports distorts competition and puts US manufacturers at a disadvantage globally.

Netizens do not agree with the US president on coining VATs as “tariffs,” because it also applies to locally produced products.

“How can anyone sane call VAT anything resembling a tariff?” asked one X user.

Other items Trump flagged are export subsidies and government financial support for domestic producers, both of which the current US administration claims undermine free markets. Another tactic called out in the list is dumping goods below production cost to flood foreign markets.

Trump criticized protective agricultural standards and technical regulations that he says are designed to exclude American products. One example he shed light on was Japan’s so-called “bowling ball test,” a claim Trump first made in 2018. 

According to him, Japanese regulators drop a bowling ball from 20 feet onto a car hood, disqualifying vehicles that dent from sale in Japan, a test he labeled “horrible” and designed to block US cars.

The president’s list also talked about counterfeiting, piracy, and intellectual property theft, all grievances in US-China trade relations, and transhipment practices used to bypass tariffs by rerouting goods through third countries.

Diplomatic friction continues

The list comes as the Trump administration opens a new round of talks with trading partners. Japan was the first to engage, sending top tariff negotiator Ryosei Akazawa to Washington last week for face-to-face meetings with the US president.

Last week, Trump declared a 90-day pause on blanket tariffs for all countries except China. The administration has imposed sweeping tariffs on Chinese imports, with other countries also subject to levies of up to 10% until July.

South Korea, facing its looming tariff burdens, is set to begin discussions later this week. The country’s acting president, Han Duck-soo, confirmed the negotiations in public remarks, but stopped short of revealing any concessions.

Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance is expected to travel to India to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Without a deal, Modi and his country face a 26% tariff rate. 

China pushes back against US pressure

China has so far made a tariff-for-tariff response to Trump’s latest actions, warning other nations against striking deals that might disadvantage Beijing. On Monday, a spokesperson for the Chinese Commerce Ministry said the country would not tolerate any agreement made “at the expense of China’s interests” and vowed to take retaliatory steps if needed.

“Appeasement cannot bring peace, and compromise cannot earn one respect,” the spokesperson said in a direct rebuke to any country falling in line with unfair US trade demands.

An editorial in China Daily, the state-run newspaper, urged the European Union to resist US pressure. The publication accused the US of using trade talks to coerce allies into placing new restrictions on commerce with China.

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