Tuesday, 02 January 2024 12:17 GMT

Trump Defends Tariff Policies, Gives Advice to Opposing Countries


(MENAFN) Nations that find American import duties excessive are free to cease commerce with the United States entirely, President Donald Trump has implied.

He firmly maintained that his recent trade strategies have fortified the country’s economy, stating they are now generating “billions of dollars a day” for the U.S. treasury.

On Wednesday, Trump imposed more stringent “reciprocal” tariffs affecting close to 90 countries.

However, later the same day, he revealed via his Truth Social platform that these new duties would be temporarily eased, implementing a 90-day suspension along with a “substantially lowered Reciprocal Tariff during this period, of 10 percent.”

Despite the pause, these changes do not include China, a nation with which the U.S. has been locked in a retaliatory tariff conflict. At present, the majority of Chinese goods face a steep 145 percent tariff when entering the U.S.

During a press briefing aboard Air Force One on Friday, Trump emphasized his administration’s authority over trade decisions, stating that “ultimately, we pretty much can do what we want to do.”

He elaborated further: “We can set the tariff, and they can choose not to deal with us, or they can choose to pay it,” and reiterated that “if they think it’s too high, they don’t have to do business with us.”

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