‘Who Are The Big Losers Here?’: Reporter Grills Trade Representative Tai On Biden's Tariffs On China

5 months ago

During a White House press briefing on Tuesday, United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai was asked about Biden’s new tariffs on China.

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00:00 -Thank you, Ambassador.

00:01 Following up on my colleague Selena's question,

00:04 you said that the President has been consistent on this issue,

00:07 but back in 2019, when he was a candidate,

00:10 he said that any freshman economics student

00:12 could tell you that the American people

00:14 are paying his terrorist route,

00:17 referring to his opponent at the time.

00:21 And he also said that he would reverse

00:24 what he called "senseless policies."

00:25 Why did he change his mind?

00:28 So I'm going to reject the assertion

00:30 that he changed his mind.

00:33 What he has been clear about is his commitment to America,

00:37 America's workers,

00:38 and America's manufacturing capabilities and resilience,

00:42 a future for our economy that is built from the middle out

00:46 and from the bottom up.

00:48 These tariffs are -- tariffs are tools,

00:52 and this is something at USTR that we feel very strongly about

00:55 because there are tools.

00:56 They're the tools of trade.

00:58 When used strategically and smartly,

01:02 they can be powerful forces

01:05 for economic strength and development,

01:07 and that is what you are seeing in this package.

01:08 -But previously, he called them "senseless."

01:11 They're no longer senseless?

01:13 -I think you have to separate out the tool itself

01:17 and perhaps how it's being used and whether or not

01:20 they are articulated for a particular purpose.

01:23 -There will obviously be costs here.

01:26 Who are the big losers here?

01:27 I mean, is it American importers?

01:29 I mean, there was an International Trade

01:31 Commission report last year that essentially said that.

01:34 -I would encourage you --

01:36 I think the ITC report is maybe not as long as our report.

01:39 It is long.

01:40 I would encourage you to take another look at it

01:42 because a lot of what people think it says

01:45 is not what it said.

01:47 In terms of the methodology that the ITC used,

01:50 it is very clear that there were positive impacts of the tariffs

01:55 on the specific industries that were being covered by it.

02:00 Let me just back up to the frame of your question.

02:03 I think that it just comes down to this,

02:07 which is the President has committed to America's workers

02:10 and to America's industries

02:11 and these industries of the future a bright future,

02:15 and we are going to use all of the tools at our disposal

02:20 -- trade tools in combination with the investments

02:23 that we have made and the commitment

02:25 that the President has to standing up

02:27 for America's economic interests to make that happen.

02:30 -All right. Thank you so much. -Thank you very much.

‘Who Are The Big Losers Here?’: Reporter Grills Trade Representative Tai On Biden's Tariffs On China

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