Bernie Moreno, the Republican businessman who defeated incumbent Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown (D), pointed to President-elect Trump's promise to boost the U.S. economy through tariffs.
“They're not going anywhere,” Moreno said on Fox News Wednesday. “We're going to introduce a tax system that punishes companies that take our jobs overseas, and a tax system that rewards companies that bring jobs back.”
President Trump's tariff plan includes general tariffs on imports and additional tariffs specific to imports from China, the United States' largest trading partner.
He proposed imposing general tariffs of 10% and 20% on all imported goods to attract investment to the United States and improve domestic industry.
Economists have warned that the proposed general tariffs could cause problems for existing trade agreements, with potential consequences even for longtime U.S. partners.
Moreno, who has built a successful network of car dealerships in Ohio, initially trailed Brown for much of the race. He said Wednesday that the U.S. government needs to focus on growing the middle class.
“There are wealthy people everywhere on the planet. That's not unique here in America. It's a growing and thriving middle class, and we have to serve those people.” he said. “And we will.”
