The Chinese electric vehicle tariff conundrum

Good trade policy is not easy. It is economically complex and often politically intractable, always hard to balance between winners and losers, especially in an election year.

President Joe Biden’s decision to raise tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles is a striking example. The president has added new tariffs on Chinese EVs, semiconductors, batteries, solar cells, steel and aluminum. The tariffs on EVs jumped to 100 percent from 25 percent.

The goal is to keep China from...