US President Joe Biden is ramping up tariffs on Chinese-made electric cars, solar panels, steel and other goods.
The White House said the measures, which include a 100% border tax on electric cars from China, were a response to unfair policies and intended to protect US jobs.
China has already criticised the plans, which were signalled in advance.
Analysts said the tariffs were largely symbolic and intended to shore up votes in a tough election year.
They follow months of criticism by former President Donald Trump, who is running for the White House against Mr Biden and has argued his rival’s support for electric cars would “kill” the US car industry.
Mr Biden on Tuesday vowed that he would not let China “unfairly control the market” for electric vehicles and other key goods, including batteries, computer chips and basic medical supplies.
“If the pandemic taught us anything – we need to have a secure supply of essentials here at home,” he said.
The tariffs announced on Tuesday will hit an estimated $18bn worth of imports, the White House said.
As well as a rise from 25% to 100% on electric vehicle tariffs, levies on solar cells will increase from 25% to 50%.
Tariff rates on certain steel and aluminium products will more than triple to 25%, up from 7.5% or less.
The moves expand sweeping border taxes that the US imposed on Chinese goods under Mr Trump, citing unfair trade practices.
During the Biden administration’s review of the measures, the government received nearly 1,500 comments, the vast majority of them from business owners arguing that they were driving up prices for everyday Americans, and asking them to be removed.
Mr Biden’s decision to leave the tariffs in place and expand them into new areas – even as persistent US inflation has weighed on his approval ratings – is a testament to the dramatic shift in trade views for both political parties in the US, which had long championed the benefits of global commerce.
Wendy Cutler, a former trade official for the US who is now vice-president of the Asia Society Policy Institute, said she believed Americans were willing to accept higher priced cars, in exchange for helping to protect US companies and jobs.
