*By Alisha Haridasani* China announced Tuesday it is cutting tariffs on imported cars and car parts, the government's latest attempt to ease trade tensions with the United States and appease President Trump. China, the [world’s largest auto market](https://www.cnbc.com/2011/09/12/Worlds-10-Largest-Auto-Markets.html?page=11), will reduce from 25 percent to 15 percent import tariffs on the wholesale value of foreign-made vehicles. It also said it will slash tariffs on auto parts to as low as 6 percent. The reduced tariffs, however, may not amount to a huge change for American and other foreign carmakers. More than [90 percent](https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/business/trade-china-protectionism.html) of the foreign model cars sold in China are made there, at factories established over two decades by automakers including General Motors and Ford. Tesla is one of the few American carmakers that has not set up a facility in China, but may have designs to do so. Most of the cars imported in China are [luxury brands](https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2018-05-22/donald-trump-does-a-favor-for-germany-s-car-giants-chris-bryant), like BMW or Mercedes-Benz. Last month, China also announced it will allow full foreign ownership of car production facilities. Beijing has required foreign carmakers to establish 50-50 partnerships with Chinese firms in order to manufacture cars in China. The auto industry had been a major point of trade negotiations between China and the U.S., and a priority for President Trump. In a [tweet](https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/983284198046826496) last month, he singled out the auto tariffs as a sing of the imbalance in the countries' trade policies, saying that the U.S. only levies a tariff of 2.5 percent on all imported cars. “Sounds like STUPID TRADE!” he said.

Share:
More In Business
Celebrating Pride: The LGBTQ+ Experience on Wall Street
Kelly Ann Winget, founder of private equity firm Alternative Wealth Partners and author of 'Pitch the Bitch,' a financial guide for those often left out of the male-dominated investment world, spoke to Cheddar News about her experience as an LGBTQ+ manager in the industry.
Stretching Your Dollar: Budget-Friendly Ideas for Wedding Guests
With wedding season underway, couples can get overwhelmed with finances and planning. Guests also feel stressed, especially when being invited to several weddings. Ted Rossman, senior industry analyst with Bankrate.com, joined Cheddar News to discuss setting up a budget if attending multiple ceremonies.
IOS 17 Update to Improve iMessage Group Chats With 'Green Bubbles'
Apple's new iOS 17 has some promising upgrades in store for group chats. Previously, when a iMessage group chat contained an Android user, it would lose features such as text editing and threaded replies. Now group chats will retain those features, even when there is a "green bubble" in the mix.
Load More