US Trade Official Blames China and US for Industrial Decline

A senior US trade official has criticised China for engaging in unfair trade practices while also holding American leadership accountable for the decline of domestic industries. William Kimmitt, the US Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade, made these remarks during a speech at the Hudson Institute, a conservative think tank based in Washington, on Thursday.

Kimmitt accused China of employing a range of trade-distorting tactics, including subsidies, dumping, regulatory barriers, and support for state-owned enterprises, to strengthen its industries and increase its share of the American market. While he did not explicitly name China, his comments left little doubt about the target of his criticism.

However, Kimmitt also directed blame at US policymakers, stating that they had "too often stood by and watched" as American factories shuttered, production moved overseas, and workers were neglected. He lamented that American leaders frequently failed to acknowledge these realities or, worse, allowed them to persist.

Highlighting the Trump administration’s "America First" trade policy, Kimmitt emphasised the need for the US to rebuild its industrial base. This policy, a key component of former President Donald Trump’s second-term agenda, focused on tariffs, supply chain decoupling, and revising trade agreements to address what it termed "unfair and unbalanced trade."

Kimmitt stressed the importance of revitalising American manufacturing capabilities, including factories, energy production, skilled labour, and long-term corporate investment. He underscored that the US must regain the capacity to produce essential materials and technologies critical to its economy, infrastructure, and national defence.