Biden administration considers carbon border tax to cut greenhouse gas and combat China’s forced labor of Uighur Muslims

The US Trade Representative’s office released a 'fact sheet,' detailing the Biden administration's 2021 trade agenda along with the 2020 annual report.

According to the trade agenda, the carbon border adjustment, which consists of import fees levied by carbon-taxing countries on goods manufactured in non-carbon-taxing countries, would be considered as part of an effort to explore and develop market and regulatory approaches to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reported Reuters.

"The president’s trade agenda will restore US global leadership on critical matters like combating forced labor and exploitative labor conditions, corruption and discrimination against women and minorities around the world," USTR said in its report.

Although China continues to deny the abuse of Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang at the hands of the CCP, the report specified that the Biden Administration will make addressing China’s forced labor programs a top priority.

The report emphasized, the United States will engage with allies to fight forced labor and exploitative labor conditions that disadvantage U.S. workers.

Biden’s nominee for US Trade Representative Katherine Tai said tariffs were a "legitimate tool" in the US trade market, while vowing to hold China accountable for its past trade commitments.

The report indicated that the Biden administration would pursue "strengthened enforcement" of China’s existing trade obligations, while undergoing a comprehensive review of past trade policies involving the United States and China.

The administration will use all available tools to take on China’s unfair trade practices, including; coercive technology transfers, unfair subsidies, intellectual property theft and internet censorship, as well as, restricting market and production, the report said.