US commerce secretary Gina Raimondo conceded that removing US tariffs on Chinese goods would not ease inflation in a “very significant way”, underscoring the White House’s struggle to devise an effective plan to fight high prices.

The senior administration official on Sunday still lent her support to the move, on which President Joe Biden is due to decide soon. But she emphasised that its impact would probably be limited given the multitude of factors pushing up prices.

“Lifting tariffs isn’t going to bring down top-line inflation in a very significant way,” she said in an interview with NBC on Sunday. “What it will do potentially is help consumers on certain?.?.?.?household goods. And so for that reason, given where inflation is, I think it could make sense to do it.”