tariffs Archives - The Minnesota Sun

Americans Support Trump’s China Tariffs as Republican Senators Push to Remove Them

April 25, 2022April 24, 2022 Minnesota Sun Staff

As GOP senators seek to roll back former President Donald Trump’s tariffs on China now that he’s out of office, polling indicates Americans want to keep the harsh policies in place.

“For decades, Congress cut tariffs without much thought. But we cannot continue to do that when it comes to products made in China,” Republican Florida Sen. Marco Rubio told the Daily Caller News Foundation in a statement. “We should do everything possible to move supply chains out of China, but this so-called ‘China bill’ is actually subsidizing manufacturing in Communist China. It’s ridiculous.”

Biden Loosens Trump Tariffs on Solar Panels Despite Labor Unions’ Pleas

February 8, 2022February 7, 2022 Minnesota Sun Staff

President Joe Biden loosened tariffs placed on solar panel imports by the Trump administration Friday, paving the way for Chinese companies to produce more panels for American consumers.

Biden issued a proclamation Friday morning, increasing the tariff-rate quota on solar equipment, or the amount of solar panel components Chinese manufacturers can send to the U.S. before receiving a penalty. The action means Chinese solar cell makers may send up to 5 gigawatts (GW) of capacity, double the previous amount of 2.5 GW, to the U.S. before being hit with a levy.

The White House action also exempts bifacial solar panels, or panels that absorb sunlight from both sides. Such panels, which are increasingly common, are often used in industry-scale projects and are believed to be the “future of the industry.”

Billionaire Michael Bloomberg to Visit Minnesotans ‘Shortchanged by Donald Trump’ Wednesday

January 8, 2020January 7, 2020 Anthony Gockowski

Michael Bloomberg’s presidential campaign announced Tuesday that the Democratic billionaire will make a campaign stop in Minnesota to discuss policies for people “shortchanged by Donald Trump.”

Commentary: Trump Threatens to ‘Snapback’ Tariffs on China if Beijing Breaks New Trade Deal

December 14, 2019December 14, 2019 Minnesota Sun Staff

U.S. and China trade negotiators once again have a deal in principle on a first stage trade agreement, just days before a Dec. 15 deadline when President Donald Trump had threatened to further increase tariffs on Chinese goods.

China to Waive Tariffs for Some US Soybeans, Pork

December 7, 2019December 6, 2019 Minnesota Sun Staff

BEIJING – China will waive import tariffs for some soybeans and pork shipments from the United States, China’s finance ministry said Friday, citing a decision by the country’s cabinet.

Commentary: Trade in Goods Deficit With China Down $38.5 Billion the First Nine Months of 2019 as Trade Talks Continue

November 16, 2019November 15, 2019 Minnesota Sun Staff

The U.S. trade in goods deficit with China is down 12.8 percent in the first nine months of 2019, or $38.5 billion, compared to 2018, according to the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

US, China Agree to Lift Tariffs, Chinese Officials Say

November 8, 2019November 7, 2019 Minnesota Sun Staff

The U.S. and China mutually agreed to lift some tariffs in what appears to be the beginning of a potential trade deal, China’s commerce ministry announced Thursday.

Commentary: Delaying Tariffs Is Not the Answer to China’s Trade Practices

September 8, 2019September 7, 2019 Minnesota Sun Staff

For the past two years, President Donald Trump has argued that China was paying the cost of the trade war. Following a delay in some of the tariffs from the latest round in the dispute with China, however, the president has acknowledged for the first time that tariffs have an impact on American families.

Commentary: President Trump’s Trade War With China Is a Moral and Economic Fight for the Future of the World

September 4, 2019September 3, 2019 Minnesota Sun Staff

Ask yourself if you were President, what would you do if you discovered that a foreign country has been waging an underground war against the nation you are sworn to protect surreptitiously killing tens of thousands of your people every year by pouring a drug so deadly that merely accidentally touching a small amount could kill you?

Trump Hits Back at China With 30 Percent Tariffs on $250 Billion of Chinese Goods

August 24, 2019August 23, 2019 Minnesota Sun Staff

President Donald Trump retaliated against China’s Friday announcement that it is increasing tariffs on U.S. goods by increasing tariffs to as much as 30% on $250 billion of Chinese goods.

Trump Says Apple’s Tim Cook Makes a ‘Compelling’ Case Against Tariffs on Tech Products

August 20, 2019August 20, 2019 Minnesota Sun Staff

President Donald Trump said Sunday that Apple CEO Tim Cook told him paying economic tariffs would make it difficult for his company to compete with the likes of Samsung.

Key Trade Deficit Metric with China Improved by 10 Percent Over This Time Last Year, Includes Tariffs

August 13, 2019August 12, 2019 Minnesota Sun Staff

The U.S. trade in goods deficit with China is down 10 percent in the first six months of 2019, or $18.8 billion, compared to 2018, according to the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Commentary: Pressure Mounts on China With Latest Round of Tariffs

August 4, 2019August 3, 2019 Minnesota Sun Staff

China has proven itself to be an unreliable trade partner in its negotiations, says President Donald Trump, and now he is levying another 10 percent tariff on $300 billion of Chinese goods that were untaxed.

Trump Denies Apple’s Request to Be Exempted From Tariffs on Chinese-Made Goods

July 28, 2019July 27, 2019 Minnesota Sun Staff

President Donald Trump said Friday on Twitter that Apple will “not be given Tariff wavers” for product parts made in China.

‘New and Improved NAFTA’ Known as USMCA Would Prevent Outsourcing of Jobs, Steve Gill Tells Fox News

July 13, 2019July 12, 2019 Jason M. Reynolds

President Donald Trump’s replacement for NAFTA continues to draw opposition from Democrats, something that Star News Political Editor Steve Gill discussed Friday on Fox News. Video of the interview is available here. Trump headed to Milwaukee to push for the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), a replacement for the North…

Commentary: The Trump Tariffs Could Help Prevent Another Great Depression by Talking Currency with China

June 14, 2019June 13, 2019 Minnesota Sun Staff

by Robert Romano A long-standing bit of conventional wisdom holds that the Great Depression, which began in 1929, was worsened and made global by tariffs in the Smoot-Hawley tariff act of 1930, and that it was not until the 1934 Reciprocal Trade Act that recovery was possible. But this…

Trump Threatens New China Tariffs If Xi Doesn’t Talk Trade with Him

June 12, 2019June 11, 2019 Minnesota Sun Staff

U.S. President Donald Trump threatened Monday to impose tariffs on another $325 billion worth of imported goods from China if Chinese President Xi Jinping does not engage in new trade talks with him later this month. Trump told CNBC he expects to meet with Xi in Osaka, Japan at…

Commentary: President Trump’s Deal with Mexico on Illegal Immigration Proof That Tariffs Work

June 12, 2019June 11, 2019 Minnesota Sun Staff

by Robert Romano President Donald Trump and the State Department hammered out a deal with Mexico on June 7 that Mexico would do much more to prevent illegal immigrants from crossing the country into the U.S. on the southern border. The last-minute agreement avoided a 5 percent tariff by…

Vietnam Says Some Chinese Exporters Are Using Fake ‘Made-In-Vietnam’ Labels To Avoid US Tariffs

June 11, 2019June 10, 2019 Minnesota Sun Staff

by Shelby Talcott Some Chinese exporters are putting fake “Made in Vietnam” stickers to try to avoid U.S. tariffs, Vietnam alleged Sunday. Vietnam said in a government statement that it found dozens of cases where Chinese exports, including textiles, iron, steel, and aluminum, are being illegally transferred to Vietnam where fake stickers…

Mexico Claims Funding for Migrant Caravans Came from Some Accounts in U.S.

June 11, 2019June 10, 2019 Anthony Gockowski

The Mexican government recently claimed that some funding for the “illicit support of migrant caravans” came from individuals within the United States. In a June 6 press release, Mexico’s Finance and Tax Secretariat announced that it has “blocked the bank accounts of various individuals and corporations that allegedly participated…

With Mexico Deal Done, US Urges China to Resume Trade Talks

June 9, 2019June 9, 2019 Minnesota Sun Staff

One down, still others to go. President Donald Trump claimed a victory after Washington and Mexico agreed on measures to stem the flow of Central American migrants into the United States. Trump called off plans to impose a 5% tax on Mexican exports, and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, speaking…

US, Mexico Reach Deal on Migration, Averting Tariffs

June 8, 2019January 2, 2020 Minnesota Sun Staff

The United States and Mexico have reached a deal on migration to avert tariffs, but U.S. officials say President Trump retains the authority to impose tariffs if Mexico fails to live up to it. “I am pleased to inform you that The United States of America has reached a…

Commentary: Trump Shows Value of Tariffs as Foreign Policy Tool

June 6, 2019June 6, 2019 Minnesota Sun Staff

by Christopher Roach The great American foreign policy debate began with the two parties’ divide over Vietnam. Until the Vietnam War, Republicans and Democrats more or less held to a consensus on the value of containment. After the war, Republicans favored unilateralism, a strong military, and clear-sighted pursuit of…

GOP Divided on Trump’s Mexico Tariff Threat

June 6, 2019June 5, 2019 Minnesota Sun Staff

by Jason Hopkins Republicans in the House and Senate appear divided in their reaction to President Donald Trump’s threats to slap Mexico with incremental tariffs. “There is not much support in my conference for tariffs, that’s for sure,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday after a closed-door lunch…

Top US, Mexican Officials Meet on Tariffs, Migrant Surge

June 6, 2019June 5, 2019 Minnesota Sun Staff

Top U.S. and Mexican officials are meeting Wednesday in Washington about President Donald Trump’s threatened 5% tariff on imported products from Mexico if it does not curb the surge of Central American migrants heading north toward the United States. With Trump in Europe for 75th-anniversary commemorations of D-Day, Vice…

Trump: ‘More Likely’ Tariffs Will Be Imposed on Mexican Products

June 5, 2019June 4, 2019 Minnesota Sun Staff

U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that it is “more likely” than not that next week he will impose a new 5% tariff on imported products from Mexico. Trump offered his assessment at a London news conference alongside British Prime Minister Theresa May, even as U.S. and Mexican officials…

Former ICE Chief on Trump’s Tariff Threat: ‘I Agree With The President 100 Percent’

June 5, 2019June 4, 2019 Minnesota Sun Staff

by Jason Hopkins The former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) voiced unwavering support for President Donald Trump’s plan to tariff all Mexican goods if they don’t better enforce illegal immigration. “I agree with the president 100 percent and I agree with the tariffs,” Tom Homan, who…

GOP Reportedly Considers Defying Trump on Mexico Tariffs

June 5, 2019June 4, 2019 Minnesota Sun Staff

by Jason Hopkins Republicans uncomfortable with the idea of a tariff war are reportedly mulling whether to vote against the president’s proposed tariff hikes against Mexico. A number of congressional Republicans could join their Democratic counterparts in a vote to block President Donald Trump if he moves forward with…

China, Tariffs, Trade, Cost and Prices: An Explainer

June 4, 2019June 3, 2019 Minnesota Sun Staff

by Rick Manning Stock markets go up and down based upon the latest trade rumors. Predictions of price hikes make headlines, yet the inflation rate remains at the levels, 2.0 percent at last count, desired by the Federal Reserve. What is going on? And is this even really a trade war with…

Mexico Says It Will Negotiate with US Over Tariff Threat

June 2, 2019June 1, 2019 Minnesota Sun Staff

WASHINGTON — Mexico’s foreign minister says he has started negotiating with U.S. officials after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose tariffs on Mexican products related to the migrant surge at the border. Marcelo Ebrard said on Twitter Friday that he had spoken to U.S. Secretary of State Mike…

On Trump’s Newest Tariff, Minnesota’s Rep. Angie Craig Tweets, ‘Where Is the Adult in the Room Who Knows What the H*** They’re Doing on Trade?’

June 1, 2019May 31, 2019 Zachery Schmidt

Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN-2) sent a tweetstorm Friday night talking about President Trump’s new threatened tariffs on Mexico. “Where is the adult in the room who knows what the hell they’re doing on trade?” Craig continued by saying small businesses and farmers will be the ones affected by the…

Commentary: Tariff Hawks Got It All Wrong When They Predicted ‘Another Great Depression’ from Trump’s America-First Trade Policies

May 27, 2019September 10, 2019 Minnesota Sun Staff

by Robert Romano In 2016, when President Donald Trump ran on his America first trade agenda, much of the conventional wisdom was that, if implemented, his tariffs would wreck the U.S. economy. It would have the same impact as the 1930 Smoot-Hawley Act, and so the prediction goes, lead to…

Commentary: China Left Trump with Little Choice but to Put 25 Percent Tariffs on $200 Billion of Goods

May 11, 2019May 11, 2019 Minnesota Sun Staff

by Robert Romano Just when it appeared that a new trade agreement with China was being finalized last week, Beijing abruptly attempted to change all the terms of the deal and walk back prior concessions that had been made to head off President Donald Trump’s threat to increase tariffs…

New Tariffs on Chinese Products Go into Effect

May 11, 2019May 10, 2019 Minnesota Sun Staff

The United States has increased tariffs from 10 percent to 25 percent on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports. China on Friday said it “deeply regrets” the increased tariffs and will take the “necessary countermeasures” without giving any details. The increases are going into effect amid talks between Chinese…

Commentary: America Needs Big, Beautiful Tariffs

April 12, 2019April 11, 2019 Minnesota Sun Staff

by Spencer P. Morrison Jonah Goldberg writes that President Trump supports tariffs because he is “truly ignorant of some of the most basic” economic principles—or he is “deceiving the public” to push a hidden agenda. Let’s not mince words: Goldberg’s implication is that Trump is either stupid or evil…

Trump Just Secured Another Major Trade Victory

January 30, 2019January 29, 2019 Minnesota Sun Staff

by Jason Hopkins The European Commission approved U.S. soybeans to be used in the production of biofuels, a decision that will fulfill President Donald Trump’s demand that the European Union buy more of the product. “Today’s decision is new proof that the European Union is delivering on our commitments,”…

Detroit Auto Show, and Industry, Prepare for Transition

January 15, 2019January 14, 2019 Minnesota Sun Staff

The auto industry gathered in Detroit on Sunday, on the eve of the last winter edition of North America’s premiere auto show, as carmakers grapple with a contracting market and uncertainty in the year ahead. Concerns over the health of the global economy and a US-China trade war loomed over…

Commentary: Contrary to Some Conservatives’ Slavish Devotion Free Trade Dogma, Trade Deficits Do Matter

January 15, 2019January 14, 2019 Minnesota Sun Staff

by Spencer P. Morrison Steve Hanke recently set out to prove “why President Trump’s trade message and protectionist policies are rubbish” in a Forbes article. Instead, the Johns Hopkins University economist exposed himself as a word-mincing, logic-twisting sophist – just like every other intellectual mercenary associated with the faux-libertarian propaganda mill that is the…

Trump Team Holds China’s Feet to the Fire on Trade Negotiations

January 9, 2019January 8, 2019 Minnesota Sun Staff

by Jason Hopkins As the Trump administration continues trade negotiations with China, the U.S. delegation is taking additional steps to make sure the Communist country follows through on its pledges. U.S. and Chinese officials met Monday in the Commerce Ministry in Beijing to begin their two-day trade negotiations. The…

GM’s Mass Layoff Includes Eliminating a Hybrid Car Obama Once Championed

November 28, 2018November 28, 2018 Admin

by Chris White General Motor’s decision to restructure and layoff thousands of employees Monday includes eliminating a hybrid vehicle former President Barack Obama once called the car of the future for the Detroit company. GM said Monday that it will cut roughly 14,000 people in North America and will idle factories…

As President Trump’s Successes with Trade Grow, Globalist Republicans’ Grip on ‘Free Trade’ Orthodoxy Slips

October 27, 2018October 27, 2018 Admin

by Michael Noyes Eight hours before the first polls closed on November 8, 2016, the late Charles Krauthammer appeared on Fox News and made a prediction. Should Trump win, he said, it would “irreversibly” change the Republican Party. “Particularly the most obvious issues will be immigration and trade,” Krauthammer…

While Know-It-Alls Lecture on Tariffs Against China, Trump Dials Up New Trade Deals with UK, Europe and Japan

October 19, 2018October 19, 2018 Admin

by Robert Romano While President Donald Trump continues to bring the pressure to China, so far with 10 percent tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods shipped to the U.S., rising to 25 percent in Jan. 2019, which comes atop another 25 percent tariff on $50 billion of goods…

Contrary to Nervous Nellie ‘Economic Experts,’ the Trump Economy is Booming with Elevated Aluminum and Steel Prices

August 15, 2018August 14, 2018 Admin

By Robert Romano One of the conventional wisdoms to do with the tariffs and duties levied by the Trump administration on steel, aluminum and lumber is that they will lead to higher prices and inflation, hurting producers and consumers, thus stunting economic growth. For example, billionaire Charles Koch warned on July…

Globalist Sen. Lamar Alexander Bemoans President’s ‘Shot to the Foot’ From Tariffs

July 29, 2018July 28, 2018 Jason M. Reynolds

Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) bemoaned President Trump’s “shot to the foot’” over tariffs on Fox News’ Journal Editorial Report. Tennessee’s senior senator, praising globalism, introduced the Automotive Jobs Act of 2018 Wednesday to delay the tariffs. He said, “Zero tariffs is exactly the right policy.” He also called for an…

US Lawmakers Warn Trump Tariffs Threaten Local Newspapers

July 18, 2018July 17, 2018 Admin

About a dozen members of Congress warned Tuesday that newspapers in their home states are in danger of reducing news coverage, laying off workers or going out of business if the United States maintains recently imposed tariffs on Canadian newsprint. The Trump administration ordered the tariffs in response to a…

Bob Corker Attacks Trump with Likely Pointless Gesture in DC While POTUS is Traveling Overseas

July 12, 2018July 11, 2018 John Bryant

If you ever wondered how low Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) might go in trying to disrupt President Trump’s agenda on negotiating better trade deals, yesterday may have provided the answer. Fox News‘ Chad Pergram took to Twitter to cover the outgoing Senator Corker’s effort to create additional problems for President…

Marsha Blackburn Praises President Trump’s Selection of Brett Kavanaugh for SCOTUS, Phil Bredesen Silent on the Pick

July 9, 2018July 10, 2018 John Bryant

Marsha Blackburn, Brett Kavanaugh, Phil Bredesen

Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07), the GOP candidate to replace retiring Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) in the November general election, led Tennessee Republicans on Monday evening in praising President Donald Trump and his nominee for justice to the U.S. Supreme Court, federal appeals court judge Brett Kavanaugh. “Judge Brett Kavanaugh will…

Big Business and GOP Fighting Trump on Tariffs, But Will it Work, Or Is It All Just Talk?

July 7, 2018July 6, 2018 John Bryant

Per Vox, Big Business and the GOP establishment are teaming up to undermine President Trump’s America First agenda. Unsurprisingly, the effort is being led by The US Chamber of Commerce and is supported by many Senate Republicans. The largest business lobbying group in America is declaring war on President Donald Trump’s…

Globalist Phil Bredesen Cuts Commercial Attacking President Trump on Tariffs

July 6, 2018July 5, 2018 John Bryant

Chuck Schumer’s hand-picked Tennessee Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Phil Bredesen went after President Donald Trump’s tariffs in a new television ad, “saying they hurt the state’s auto industry, farmers and exports like Jack Daniel’s whiskey,” according to this report. This may be the first time Bredesen has taken on Trump…

Corker Won’t Quit Undermining Trump On Trade Negotiations

June 22, 2018June 21, 2018 John Bryant

According to a report by The Hill, outgoing Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) is pressing the Trump administration for details on the implementation of tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. As chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Corker seems intent on making President Trump’s negotiating strategy as difficult as possible,…