WASHINGTON—The U.S. administration’s decision to sharply increase tariffs on several Chinese imports, including a notable 100 percent duty on electric vehicles (EVs), has triggered a wave of criticism from both industrial experts and business insiders.

According to the Namibia Press Agency, the new tariffs, which also include a 50 percent duty on solar cells and a 25 percent increase on EV batteries, critical minerals, steel, aluminum products, and ship-to-shore cranes, are set to take effect on September 27, as stated by the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office. This decision has raised concerns about its broader economic implications. Kuang Xianming, deputy head of the China Institute for Reform and Development, criticized the move, indicating that it could harm not only the U.S.’s trading partners but also its own economic sectors, disrupting global economic norms and the international order.

The underlying strategy of the tariffs is to lessen the competitiveness of Chinese products by increasing their market entry costs. However, Xianming argued that Chinese manufacturers could maintain a competitive edge through continued enhancements in quality and performance, despite the new U.S. policy constraints.

Further dissent came from Sven O. Otten, general manager of Tnkers (Jiangsu) Automation Technology Co., Ltd., who warned that the global economy’s interconnectedness makes such unilateral measures detrimental worldwide. Otten pointed out that these tariffs would not only affect Chinese industries but also American and European manufacturers that produce vehicles in China for global markets.

Additionally, a Guangdong-based technology firm specializing in camera exports labeled the increased tariffs as a “strategic tool” used by American politicians to curb the growth of China’s emerging sectors, calling it an unfair competitive practice. Despite this, the firm is committed to overcoming these challenges through technological innovation and continuing to appeal to global consumers.

Wang Xing, a partner expert at global strategy consulting firm Roland Berger, commented on the specific impact on the Chinese ship-to-shore crane industry, suggesting that while the tariff increase is more politically motivated than economically, the Chinese sector’s strong technological and cost advantages are likely to sustain its global competitiveness, even amidst challenges in the U.S. market.