U.S. businesses urge Trump not to slap duties on more Chinese goods

U.S. industry representatives expressed opposition Monday to President Donald Trump's proposed tariffs of up to 25 percent on an additional $200 billion in Chinese products, saying higher duties will affect American businesses and consumers through increased costs and prices.

On the first day of six days of hearings organized by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said the tariffs, which could take effect as early as next month, "dramatically expands the harm to American consumers, workers, businesses, and the economy."

Ross Bishop, president of BrightLine Bags, Inc. in California that runs five manufacturing plants in China, requested that the Trump administration not invoke the levies.

With Washington and Beijing escalating their trade row with tit-for-tat tariffs, Bishop said his company has become "a game piece" of "a political game" being played between the world's two largest economies.

Given that his company would face an "unjustifiable" tax of 42.6 percent, Bishop said he has no choice but to pass the extra cost to consumers, a development that would dampen sales. "Help me keep my company alive," he added.

Jim Day, vice president of 47 Brand LLC, a sportswear maker in Massachusetts, said that there are currently no manufacturers outside China to produce the same quality and quantity.

"Most consumers cannot or would not pay 25 percent more for a ball cap," Day said. "If this increase in tariff takes effect, our business will stagnate or decline altogether."

In July, the Trump administration imposed 25 percent tariffs on $34 billion in Chinese goods. Beijing immediately retaliated with duties on the same value of U.S. goods.

The administration is set to slap 25 percent duties on an additional $16 billion in Chinese imports on Thursday. China has pledged to retaliate with a similar measure in response, as well.

Including the further $200 billion worth of Chinese products, the United States would be taxing about half of the goods it imports from China each year.