Donald Trump, the President of the United States of America, summarized the story on Twitter by saying: “Negotiations between the USA and China are going on extremely well!”, including a remarkable exclamation mark. In fact, the USA and China, recently involved in a mutual commercial war that turned upside down international relations throughout 2018, are striving to talk and soften their controversy, which has been rather harsh so far. USHSLA, the association of US traders, emphasized that Washington’s administration has really suspended the increase of customs duties (formerly scheduled on last 1 January), from 10% up to 25%, applied to imports of a range of Chinese commodities and products, many of which are leather articles. Such fair-play friendly gesture is due to expire though: in fact, China is supposed to give proper feedback, in compliance with US expectations, within March 1. Otherwise, customs duties will go up to 25% and will enter into force. In the meantime, Beijing have not given up their retaliation duties, but Minister of Financial Affairs announced they are going to cut restriction prices applied to 700 products made in the USA, including some types of semi-finished and finished leather. At the end of December, the South China Morning Post carried out a survey: according to that, Chinese customs officers also took a few indirect actions to hinder US traders and their business. Which ones? The so-called “customs barriers”, that is, multiple controls, inspections and bureaucracy lengthiness, which are bound to deeply slow down, or even stop, the goods pass. Looking at products, made in the USA, which will undergo these upcoming restrictions, calf skin is included as well.
In the commercial war underway, the USA do not raise duties and open to talks. Yet China set barriers to calf skin trade
