United States Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said on Tuesday that the tariffs imposed on Chinese goods are meant to "modify China's behavior" as well as to lead to "very near-term, very constructive discussions" on trade. However, he could not say whether the pressure will result in renewed negotiations. He also assured the decision to introduce punitive measures was a "carefully thought-through exercise" and the items chosen are "the least intrusive to the [American] consumer."
Ross also asserted Beijing is "out of bullets" because it does not import enough goods to reciprocate equally and is only expected to impose tariffs on $60 billion of American imports. He added the European Union and Japan joined the US "in pursuit of behavior modification" against China and that one of the positive effects of the tariffs was that they "brought the US closer together to those allies."
