The Trump administration’s plan to hike tariffs on goods produced in China does not include Bibles, according to a report.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative posted lists on Tuesday of items that will be subject to the upcoming tariff increases imposed by the U.S. on China as part of the ongoing trade war between the two nations.
Two lists, one going into effect on Sept. 1, the other on Dec. 15, detail $300 billion worth of goods from China that will be subject to a 10% tariff as part of President Trump’s plan to deal more harshly with the communist nation. Absent, however, from both lists are Bibles, which are overwhelmingly produced in China.
The USTR confirmed to Christianity Today on Tuesday that “certain products are being removed from the tariff list based on health, safety, national security, and other factors.”
The core of Trump’s political support includes religious conservatives.
China maintains its status as the top producer of Bibles in the world due to specialized printing technology that is necessary to print and bind on specialized, thin paper required to produce Bibles. They currently print over 75% of Bibles in the world.
The confirmation that Bibles would be exempted from the tariff could offer relief to many who expressed concern that the trade mandate could be detrimental to Bible distribution.
“We believe the Administration was unaware of the potential negative impact these proposed tariffs would have on the publishing industry generally, and that it never intended to impose a ‘Bible Tax’ on consumers and religious organizations,” HarperCollins Christian Publishing President Mark Schoenwald said in a June statement.
Approximately 20 million Bibles printed in China are sold or given away in the United States annually.
