US accuses 9 Latin American countries of helping China avoid Trump’s tariffs
Three Latin American governments that moved against Chinese commercial interests over the past year were named in a White House report on Thursday, which accused Chinese exporters of routing goods through third countries to evade US tariffs.
Mexico, Panama and Colombia now join Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic among more than 40 countries the report says carry elevated risk of illegal transshipment, the practice of moving goods through an intermediate country so they enter the US under a different origin and a lower duty.
Previously, the three Latin American countries appeared to support the Trump administration during the relentless US-China trade war.
Panama’s Supreme Court annulled the concessions held by Hong Kong’s CK Hutchison at both ends of the canal in January, drawing an arbitration claim of more than US$2 billion and a freeze on Chinese state investment.
Colombia applied a 35 per cent duty in March on steel and metalworking imports from countries without a trade agreement, the ceiling permitted under World Trade Organization (WTO) rules and aimed principally at its largest supplier, China.
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Why the US is worried about China’s growing influence in South America
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