President Trump’s imposition of steel and aluminum tariffs on three American allies is “an abuse of authority,” according to a senior Senate Republican.
“Imposing steel and aluminum tariffs on our most important trading partners is the wrong approach and represents an abuse of authority intended only for national security purposes,” Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Bob Corker, R-Tenn., said Thursday.
Trump imposed tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and the European Union. He rooted the move in a federal law that allows the administration “to determine the effects of imports of any article on the national security of the United States,” as the Commerce Department put it. But the decision provoked condemnation from U.S. allies and Republican lawmakers.
“[W]e run a trade surplus on steel [with Mexico],” Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., tweeted. “In addition to higher prices, these tariffs invite retaliation.”
The EU has threatened to impose $7.5 billion worth of tariffs on American exports, while Canada may retaliate to the tune of $12.8 billion. “It is entirely inappropriate to view any trade with Canada as a threat to the United States’ national security,” Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said Thursday.
Trump’s team maintained that the tariffs offer the double benefit of “major, positive effects on steel and aluminum workers and jobs,” in addition to the national security implications connected to the U.S. steel industry.
“[T]he Trump Administration’s actions underscore its commitment to good-faith negotiations with our allies to enhance our national security while supporting American workers,” the White House said. “The Administration will continue to monitor steel and aluminum imports and adjust the measures in effect as necessary to protect the national security of the United States.”
Corker dismissed that idea. “If we truly want to level the playing field for American companies, we should be working with our friends and allies to target those actually responsible for tipping markets in their favor,” he said.
