China-U.S. Trade War: Public hearings continue; witnesses worry about job losses

World
Europe

02:42

We open with a look at the ongoing trade war between China and the U.S. --Public hearings concerning proposed tariffs on 200 billion US dollars worth of Chinese products are continuing in Washington. CGTN is at the hearings and says that many witnesses are worried about a hit to the American labor market.

The hearing was held at the U.S. International Trade Commission in Washington by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. Sixty-one witnesses were assigned to eight panels and each had five minutes to express his views. The hearing wasn't available for recording. But there were more opponents than supporters of the proposed tariffs.

The hearing will continue until Monday. A total of 358 witnesses will express their views during the six sessions. Most of the witnesses who testified on the first day said they were worried about irreparable economic losses. Some said they may have to cut staff to maintain their businesses.

The new proposal is different from previous rounds of U.S. tariffs that mostly targeted industrial products. That's because the measure aims at products closer to people's lives and that will force companies to eventually transfer their higher costs to consumers.