Sen. Merkley on Tariffs: Across the Board Tariffs Is Just ‘a Massive Interruption of Productive International Trade’

BROWN The administration points ░░░░░░░░ several companies who have ░░░░░░░░ more investment in the ░░░░░░░░ States as a result ░░░░░░░░ the tariff policy to ░░░░░░░░ tune of tens of ░░░░░░░░ of dollars Do you ░░░░░░░░ this is a long ░░░░░░░░ trend or a short ░░░░░░░░ response to the fluctuating ░░░░░░░░ policies MERKLEY You know ░░░░░░░░ most carefully crafted tariffs ░░░░░░░░ address very low cost ░░░░░░░░ from China that are ░░░░░░░░ under low environmental standards ░░░░░░░░ low labor standards There ░░░░░░░░ often a very good ░░░░░░░░ for a carefully crafted ░░░░░░░░ plan to basically make ░░░░░░░░ fair level playing field ░░░░░░░░ American manufacturing But across ░░░░░░░░ board tariffs that go ░░░░░░░░ other developed economies and ░░░░░░░░ to have retaliatory tariffs ░░░░░░░░ who knows where it ░░░░░░░░ from there that s ░░░░░░░░ simply a massive interruption ░░░░░░░░ productive international trade and ░░░░░░░░ up the costs for ░░░░░░░░ who can t afford ░░░░░░░░ have those costs driven ░░░░░░░░ BROWN But what do ░░░░░░░░ think about the companies ░░░░░░░░ have invested this billions ░░░░░░░░ dollars in the U ░░░░░░░░ essentially in response to ░░░░░░░░ s tariffs policies Are ░░░░░░░░ willing to concede that ░░░░░░░░ s a positive that ░░░░░░░░ come out of this ░░░░░░░░ Listen I always celebrate ░░░░░░░░ in the United States ░░░░░░░░ again a carefully crafted ░░░░░░░░ the biggest factor is ░░░░░░░░ you have companies that ░░░░░░░░ in China or very ░░░░░░░░ low cost places that ░░░░░░░░ Hey the United States ░░░░░░░░ going to pursue a ░░░░░░░░ more level trading policy ░░░░░░░░ we re going to ░░░░░░░░ more in America But ░░░░░░░░ a lot of American ░░░░░░░░ will be hard hit ░░░░░░░░ their own productivity because ░░░░░░░░ the cost of goods ░░░░░░░░ in the components into ░░░░░░░░ they manufacture go up ░░░░░░░░ cost Then their price ░░░░░░░░ have to charge goes ░░░░░░░░ which can make them ░░░░░░░░ competitive on the international ░░░░░░░░ So this is a ░░░░░░░░ that can cut in ░░░░░░░░ different directions.”