The US government has accused more than 40 countries, including Canada, India, Mexico, Japan, and South Korea, of helping China avoid paying tens of billions of dollars in tariffs by routing exports through nations with lower import duties. The White House report claims that this practice, known as "transshipment," has cost the US "American jobs and billions in revenue." The Chinese embassy in Washington responded that trade wars have no winners, and that China opposes the use of state power to target its companies. This controversy comes weeks before a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping**, and is part of an ongoing wave of sanctions between the two countries. The affected goods are estimated to be worth between $30bn and $300bn.
Most trade experts say the Aug 13 White House report on alleged China-linked transshipment is less an intellectually rigorous economic analysis than a political document designed to reinforce the administration's case for tariffs and tougher enforcement.
| Signal | Value | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Correction rate | 0.000 | 0.4 |
| Uncertainty density | 0.108 | 0.25 |
| Assertive mismatch rate | 0.000 | 0.35 |