President Biden, on April 17, 2024, made a visit to the United Steelworkers headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and decided to use the time to do a 180 using a Trump policy he campaigned against.

Biden is calling for a substantial increase in the tariff rate on these imports, proposing elevating the current average tariff from 7.5% to over 20%. This move is seen as a definitive sign that the Biden administration is earnest about the warnings it has recently been sounding off regarding China’s trade practices.

However, this stance seems to contrast with Biden’s statement in 2019. At the time, he criticized President Trump’s hardline approach towards China, arguing that it was only causing American farmers, manufacturers, and consumers to suffer and pay more. He attributed Trump’s economic decisions as shortsighted, echoing his sentiment towards the rest of Trump’s foreign policy.

It is interesting that Biden’s decision comes after a bombshell new report.

A recent Reuters report that pegged Biden’s approval rating at 38%. Moreover, the report revealed that 41% of respondents believed Trump’s approach was better compared to 34% who favored Biden’s.

Biden is announcing higher tariffs on Chinese steel today — something he OPPOSED when President Trump did it.

Here’s Biden criticizing President Trump’s tariffs in 2019: “It’s really easy to be tough when someone else absorbs the pain.” pic.twitter.com/ANstR6cM19

— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) April 17, 2024

The ongoing intrigue doesn’t just stop there. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has expressed concerns about Chinese subsidies, which she believes are leading to an excess supply of clean energy products like solar panels and electric vehicles in the global markets. She voiced her apprehensions about how this oversupply might drive down prices and potentially throttle worldwide competition.

If these concerns are left unaddressed, Yellen mentioned, imposing tariffs could be a potential solution. China, however, refutes these concerns, stating its abundant supply is a result of constant innovation, not government subsidies.

Funny how things change isn’t it?