What Happened The White House's economic battle with Beijing shows no signs of slowing down. On Nov. 20, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer released an update to the U.S. report on Chinese intellectual property violations ahead of a Dec. 1 meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Buenos Aires. The report was part of the trade representative's section 301 investigation into China's alleged trade infractions, which is the primary legal tool the White House has employed to hit Chinese goods with tariffs. Why It Matters The updated report gives the White House legal cover to impose additional tariffs on Chinese goods in the likely event that upcoming trade talks end in an impasse.