{"ok":true,"report":{"slug":"bRvNc0dC","publishedAt":1780064340021,"post":{"text":"It was Biden who put the 100% tariff on Chinese EVs in response to the BYD dolphin, the car that scared the crap out of the US auto industry because it was so good and so cheap.","uri":"at://did:plc:p5qyunvk67vzdc54yamf3woe/app.bsky.feed.post/3mmyppmz2uc2z","authorHandle":"solarpunkfox.bsky.social"},"verdict":{"verdict":"Mixed","confidence":75,"summary":"Biden did announce a 100% tariff on Chinese EVs in May 2024 (quadrupling the existing 25% rate), which is accurate. However, the tariff was part of a broad Section 301 trade action covering multiple sectors, not a specific response to one car model. Additionally, the BYD model most frequently cited in media coverage as the cheap EV causing concern was the BYD Seagull (~$12,000), not the BYD Dolphin.","claims":[{"claim":"Biden put a 100% tariff on Chinese EVs","assessment":"True. In May 2024, the Biden administration announced it would raise the tariff on Chinese-made electric vehicles from 25% to 100%, finalized later that year. This was widely reported by NPR, BBC, and other outlets."},{"claim":"The tariff was imposed 'in response to the BYD Dolphin'","assessment":"Misleading. The tariff was part of a broader Section 301 review targeting multiple strategic sectors (steel, aluminum, semiconductors, batteries, solar cells, etc.), justified by concerns about Chinese overcapacity and unfair trade practices. No official announcement singled out the BYD Dolphin specifically."},{"claim":"The BYD Dolphin 'scared the crap out of the US auto industry because it was so good and so cheap'","assessment":"Partially true in spirit but misidentified. Chinese EVs, particularly BYD's low-cost models, were widely discussed as a potential competitive threat. However, the model most commonly cited in coverage was the BYD Seagull (priced around $12,000 in China), not the Dolphin. The Dolphin is a different, slightly larger model."}],"caveats":"The post captures a real dynamic — cheap Chinese EVs from BYD did generate significant concern among US policymakers and auto industry observers, and Biden's 100% tariff was widely understood as a response to that competitive threat. The inaccuracy lies in naming the wrong specific model (Dolphin vs. Seagull) and implying a direct one-to-one causal relationship rather than a broader trade policy decision.","sources":[{"title":"Biden's tariff hikes on Chinese EVs: 5 things to know : NPR","url":"https://www.npr.org/2024/05/14/1251096758/biden-china-tariffs-ev-electric-vehicles-5-things"},{"title":"Biden hits Chinese electric cars and solar cells with higher tariffs","url":"https://www.bbc.com/news/business-69004520"},{"title":"History says tariffs rarely work, but Biden's 100% tariffs on Chinese EVs could defy the trend","url":"https://www.theinvadingsea.com/2024/06/02/china-electric-vehicles-evs-tariffs-biden-byd-seagull-auto-companies-greenhouse-gas-emissions"},{"title":"Weighing Biden's China Tariffs | Council on Foreign Relations","url":"https://www.cfr.org/articles/weighing-bidens-china-tariffs"}]},"communityNote":"Misleading. Biden did raise tariffs on Chinese EVs to 100% in May 2024, but the policy was part of a broad trade review covering multiple industries, not a direct response to one car. The low-cost model that drew the most attention was the BYD Seagull, not the Dolphin.","sourceUrl":"https://www.npr.org/2024/05/14/1251096758/biden-china-tariffs-ev-electric-vehicles-5-things"}}