In May, the Biden administration announced new tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, batteries, solar cells, steel, aluminum and medical equipment. Biden noted in a speech from the White House that the Chinese government “has poured state money into Chinese companies. It’s not competition, it’s cheating.” Not among the items on the list are golf carts. Seemingly a particularly niche item but astute readers will know golf carts are big business in Georgia. With E-Z Go and Clu Car both producing golf carts in Augusta, besides being home of the Masters, it is also the “Golf Cart Capital of the World.”
In a letter sent Friday to Ambassador Katherine Tai, Congressman Rick Allen (R-GA 12), Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA), joined by South Carolina Senators Lindsay Graham and Tim Scott, as well as Congressman Joe Wilson (R SC-2), urged Tai to include golf carts, Personal Transportation Vehicles (PTVs), and Low-Speed Vehicles (LSVs) in the definition of “electric vehicle.” Tai is the United States Trade Representative who is principal trade advisor, negotiator, and spokesperson on U.S. trade policy.
“Today our country faces a deluge of imported vehicles from China being sold at artificially low prices, allowing heavily subsidized Chinese manufacturers to capture market share at an alarming rate,” said the Augusta-region delegation. “This market capture threatens the viability of the domestic manufacturing base, and we strongly believe that China should not continue to reap the unjustified rewards of unfair trade practices. As you work to define ‘electric vehicle’ in the forthcoming tariff definition, we believe that definition should include small electric utility vehicles for personal use.”
With gas prices, increasing costs of full-size vehicles, and a desire by some to lower their carbon footprint, golf carts are increasingly being used for alternative transportation. Peachtree City is famously golf cart friendly but are available for use on many state and county roads across Georgia. Chinese-made companies, propped up by the government, are now increasingly cutting into market share. Chinese imports of golf carts grew by 104 percent between just 2021 and 2023 – small wonder why these vehicles are catching the attention of the Augusta-region representatives.
The members conclude: “Without specific action, we believe the growth of imports in this class of electric vehicles over the past two years is a foreshadowing of the erosion of domestic market share and the jobs associated with their production that will continue. Tariffs on these Chinese-subsidized imports would ensure fair competition, provided the USTR ensures that the definition of electric vehicle includes golf carts, PTVs, and LSVs.”
To read the full letter:
