A costumed character waits for business at Times Square in New York, the United States, Dec. 18, 2019. A sudden snow squall hit New York on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

Chinese observers are closely monitoring a series of lawsuits filed by US groups against President Donald Trump's tariffs with great interest, although expectations for any positive legal outcome directly impacting the tariffs on Chinese goods are dim, experts said on Friday.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday US time that Trump's strategy to use tariffs as leverage in trade negotiations with trading partners is facing a potential threat from lawsuits, after recent court rulings in favor of steel and energy companies against the administration.

"To the very least, this proves China was right all along that US businesses and consumers are paying for the tariffs rather than Chinese companies, contrary to what the US officials suggested," Gao Lingyun, an expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences who advises the Chinese government on trade talks with the US, told the Global Times on Friday.

However, Gao said there is little chance that a similar strategy could help to bring favorable results against the tariffs on Chinese goods given the "unfriendly political environment" in the US toward China. "We shouldn't expect US courts to rule against the US government and in favor of China," he said.

Although none of the current court cases are against US tariffs on Chinese products, trade lawyers believe that could change, according to the Wall Street Journal report. 

"I think there is a great probability that some in the US might file lawsuit against the tariffs on Chinese products because these tariffs affect more products, companies, and consumers," Mei Xinyu, a research fellow at the Ministry of Commerce's Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, told the Global Times on Friday.

The US has imposed tariffs on about $370 billion worth of Chinese products, though it has committed to rolling back tariffs in phases as part of a phase one agreement. Officials are still reviewing legal aspects and translation of the deal's text.

Not only that the potential challenges against the US tariffs on Chinese goods are unlikely to trigger any relief in the trade tensions between the world's two biggest economies, "it could also deal a political blow to Trump domestically, which might spark a change in the US narrative that it is winning," Mei said.

He also added that China must stick to its own firm approach in dealing with the US-initiated trade war. "Ultimately, it is us who will have to resolve this," Mei said.

Global Times