<div><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><b>US President Joe Biden on Wednesday urged a tripling of tax on Chinese steel and aluminum, citing “unfair competition” as he seeks to win blue-collar votes in November’s election.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Biden’s call comes as the US Trade Representative (USTR) announced it is launching a probe into China’s trade practices in the shipbuilding, maritime and logistics sectors in response to a recent petition by five US unions.</div><div><br></div><div>The president is preparing to address steelworkers in Pittsburgh on Wednesday, the second day of a three-day trip through the crucial swing state of Pennsylvania.</div><div><br></div><div>Both Biden and his election rival Donald Trump are competing for vital blue-collar voters, promising to revive American manufacturing.</div><div><br></div><div>“Chinese policies and subsidies for their domestic steel and aluminum industries mean high-quality US products are undercut by artificially low-priced Chinese alternatives produced with higher emissions,” the White House said in a statement.</div><div><br></div><div>A senior US official told reporters that China accounts for about half of global steel production, while exporting the metal at a significantly lower cost than US steel prices.</div><div><br></div><div>As the USTR reviews tariffs imposed on China during Trump’s administration, Biden urged it to triple an existing rate under Section 301 of the Trade Act.</div><div><br></div><div>Currently, the average tariff on steel and aluminum under this section is 7.5 per cent.</div><div><br></div><div>The so-called Section 301 investigation was the primary tool the Trump administration used in the trade war with China to justify tariffs.</div><div><br></div><div>The White House added on Wednesday that Biden is also directing officials to work with Mexico to prevent tariff evasion by China. - AFP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>