President Trump’s surprise Thursday announcement that he would place tariffs on $300 billion worth of Chinese goods drew mixed reaction from Senate lawmakers.
All agreed that pressure needed to be put on China, but most said there were better ways to do it than simply slapping levies on Chinese goods.
Republican Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley tweeted a mild rebuke that “Tariffs aren’t the only solution Pres Trump should use to pressure China,” but added that “China isn’t making any friends in Congress with its behavior.” Grassley, chairman of Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction on tariffs and trade, said that Beijing needed “follow thru on its commitments on fentanyl+ ag purchases +trade talks.”
China has a responsibility to follow thru on its commitments on fentanyl+ ag purchases +trade talks Tariffs aren’t the only solution Pres Trump should use to pressure China but China isn’t making any friends in Congress w its behavior
— ChuckGrassley (@ChuckGrassley) August 1, 2019
Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, ranking Democrat on the committee, was harsher, tweeting, “Trump has nothing to show for his trade war with China, and now he’s raising the prices of the stuff sitting on shelves in stores across the country. Clothing, shoes, school supplies, you name it. He said he’d bring back Americans’ jobs, instead he’s picking their pockets.”
Trump has nothing to show for his trade war with China, and now he’s raising the prices of the stuff sitting on shelves in stores across the country. Clothing, shoes, school supplies, you name it.
He said he’d bring back Americans’ jobs, instead he’s picking their pockets. https://t.co/53QufDE61S
— Ron Wyden (@RonWyden) August 1, 2019
Democratic Wisconsin Rep. Ron Kind called the tariff hikes “reckless,” adding, “China is already refusing to buy our agriculture products, unilateral tariffs are not going to make China more willing to come to the table. We need to stop using Wisconsin families as pawns and get serious about working with our trade allies to hold China accountable.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer declined to comment directly on the tariffs Thursday, saying he hadn’t seen the announcement, but told reporters, “We have to be really tough on China. They’ve taken advantage of us. America has lost trillions of dollars and millions of jobs because China has not played fair. And being tough on China is the right way to be.”
Trump announced the additional tariffs Thursday, following the return of U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin from a two-day trip to Shanghai to get trade talks back on track with Beijing, an effort that yielded little apparent progress.
Trump initially said that the tariffs would be set at 10%, but said later in the day that they could be set at 25% or even higher. Both senators’ comments came before Trump said the tariffs could be above 10%.
The U.S. currently has 25% tariffs on $250 billion worth of Chinese goods. Placing tariffs on an additional $300 billion worth of goods is expected to cover most imports from China.
