Are the new Chinese taxes on their own clothing and textile exports an attempt to stave off U.S. and E.U. import restrictions - or are they an attempt to exploit those restrictions, and benefit from them?
Alexandra Harney in Hong Kong, Alan Beattie in London and, Raphael Minder report on the tax increase for the Financial Times: "Beijing raises taxes on textile exports to head off import curbs". As noted in the headline, Harney and her co-authors present the action as an attempt by the Chinese to head off U.S. and E.U. restrictions on their textile exports.
Peter Gallagher doesn't see the Chinese has trying to head off the restrictions, he thinks its more likey they're trying to exploit them for their own benefit: "US and EU quotas to force up world clothing price".
Steven Suranovic explains the economic theory of export taxes, here: "Welfare Effects of an Export Tax: Large Country".
Interesting topic. Do you think that China will at somepoint totally disregard US imports? What would this mean for U.S. economy?
Posted by: Cashmere | October 19, 2010 at 11:56 AM