«Let’s absolutely take on Chinese bad behavior, but with a plan that punishes them instead of us.»
Fox Business/YouTube
President Donald Trump doubled down on a budding trade war with China on Thursday, threatening to add another $100 billion worth of tariffs on China, one of the biggest trade partners with the U. S.
The threats come as the Trump administration announced earlier this week tariffs on $50 billion worth of U. S. imports of Chinese goods focused on electronics and appliances.
China responded to the announcement by matching it with proposed equivalent tariffs on U. S. goods should the White House move forward with the plan. The proposed tariffs coming from Beijing would heavily target U. S. agricultural industries, a section of the country composed of large swaths of Trump voters.
In a statement released Thursday, Trump said he found China’s retaliation “unfair” and has instructed U. S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to consider ratcheting up the tariffs.
“Rather than remedy its misconduct, China has chosen to harm our farmers and manufacturers,” Trump said in the statement. “I am committed to enabling American companies and workers to compete on a level playing field around the world, and I will never allow unfair trade practices to undermine American interests.”
The tariffs on trade with China began as the Trump administration sought to curb what it views as harmful trade practices that force U. S. companies to turn over intellectual property to conduct business in China.
On Friday, the president again criticized trade relationships between the two countries and targeted the World Trade Organization’s “unfair” treatment of the U. S.:
China, which is a great economic power, is considered a Developing Nation within the World Trade Organization. They therefore get tremendous perks and advantages, especially over the U. S. Does anybody think this is fair. We were badly represented. The WTO is unfair to U. S.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 6,2018
Lighthizer echoed Trump’s response to Beijing’s retaliation and voiced his support for additional tariffs, calling the measure “appropriate,” according to Politico .
Trump also explained that he has asked Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue “to use his broad authority to implement a plan to protect our farmers and agricultural interests.”
But it’s unclear exactly what options are available to prevent China’s retaliation from harming American farmers, many of whom have expressed concern over dropping prices.
Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) criticized the looming trade war, arguing that Trump is “threatening to light American agriculture on fire.”
“Let’s absolutely take on Chinese bad behavior, but with a plan that punishes them instead of us,” Sasse said. “This is the dumbest possible way to do this.”
While no tariffs have been implemented yet, the tense rhetoric may interfere with efforts to reach a better trade deal, a condition the president has laid out for backing off the tariffs.
But according to The Washington Post, China has responded to Trump’s latest threats by saying it will impose tariffs of its own if the U. S. measure actually takes effect. China’s commerce ministry said that “China has very detailed countermeasures” and will “fight at any cost.”
The White House announcement on tariffs comes after Trump signed a broader measure imposing steel and aluminum tariffs on many countries last month.
Aaron Credeur is a News Fellow at IJR. He has written on a variety of national topics, including the 2016 presidential election, the state of liberal… more
