US Trade Policy With China: Proposing A New Framework for US Economic Competitiveness

Abstract

Due to the Biden Administration’s decision to uphold a large majority of the Trump administration’s protectionist trade policies, US manufacturing industries are failing to control the market share. This paper explores the proper solutions that need to be taken to restore US competitiveness with China, prioritizing US cooperation with allies and China instead of unwarranted tensions. This paper analyzes the effects of US tariffs on Chinese imported goods on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the US, US Gross Domestic Product (GDP), US manufacturing wages, and overall US manufacturing costs to argue that key US tariffs on Chinese imports should be eliminated. This paper explores the benefits of trade specialization and its effects on the US’s Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA) to argue that the US should champion free trade policies such as revitalizing the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). Finally, this report recommends that the US kickstart wholesale WTO reforms that change the process by which member states identify as “developing” or “developed” nations, and institute stricter litigation statutes against Chinese WTO violations.