Fact check: What traiffs did china have on the united states before 2018

1. Summary of the results

Based on the analyses provided, none of the sources contain specific information about China's tariffs on the United States before 2018 ^{[1] [2] [3]}. The sources focus primarily on the trade war period that began in 2018 and its aftermath.

The available data shows the current state of bilateral tariffs: average US tariffs on Chinese exports stand at 54.9% while average Chinese tariffs on US exports are at 32.6% ^[3]. However, this reflects the post-2018 trade war landscape rather than the pre-2018 baseline the question seeks to understand.

One source provides a timeline of the US-China trade war including tariffs imposed by both countries, but does not specifically address the pre-2018 tariff structure ^[2]. Another discusses the broader US-China trade relationship and tariffs during the trade war period, but similarly lacks information on China's pre-2018 tariff policies toward US goods ^[1].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The analyses reveal a significant gap in addressing the original question. Critical missing context includes:

• Baseline tariff rates that China maintained on US imports before the trade war escalation
• Sector-specific tariff structures that may have varied across different industries
• Most Favored Nation (MFN) status and how it affected China's tariff treatment of US goods
• World Trade Organization commitments China made regarding tariff levels upon joining in 2001
• Comparative analysis showing how China's pre-2018 tariffs on US goods compared to tariffs on other trading partners

Different stakeholders would benefit from various narratives:

• US trade hawks benefit from emphasizing any high pre-2018 Chinese tariffs to justify retaliatory measures
• Chinese trade officials benefit from highlighting low pre-2018 tariffs to demonstrate good faith in trade relations
• Free trade advocates benefit from showing historically low tariff levels to argue against protectionist policies

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question itself does not contain misinformation, as it is a straightforward factual inquiry. However, the lack of comprehensive data in the analyses suggests potential bias in source selection or availability ^{[1] [2] [3]}.

The focus on post-2018 trade war data in all three sources may reflect:

• Recency bias in available research and reporting
• Political emphasis on the dramatic trade war period rather than the preceding baseline
• Limited access to comprehensive historical tariff databases

The absence of pre-2018 data could inadvertently support narratives that either minimize or exaggerate the significance of China's historical trade barriers, depending on what the actual pre-2018 tariff levels were. This information gap prevents a complete understanding of how dramatically trade relations changed after 2018.