Commerce Sec. Howard Lutnick defended President Trump's tariff approach, saying on Sunday the president will focus on stopping fentanyl from entering the country and will actively engage with the target nation to find a common position.
“This is how you run your country,” Lutnick said on “Meet the Press” with Kristen Welker of NBC News. “You have closed the border. You have our neighbors do our job. We are not the only ones who have to do their job. Why are our neighbors living and breathing from our economy that doesn't take care of America?”
After months of threat, Trump's 25% tariff came into effect this week on American neighbours to the North, marking a turning point for the two relationships between the US and its top trading partners.
However, a few days later, Trump signed a tariff exemption for most imports from Canada and Mexico, delaying its implementation until April 2nd. At that point, the President plans to impose mutual tariffs on foreign countries that are obligated to import the US.
Lutnick emphasized that the issue concerns the flow of fentanyl.
“We need to remember that this is a drug-related issue,” Rutnick said. “You poured fentanyl into this country, killing 75,000 Americans and autopsy. And the president thinks it's more, even more multiples.”
The Commerce Secretary said it was important that Trump engages with other countries and defends the changes the president made to the original tariff plans.
“It's important for the president to speak with leaders in both Canada and Mexico, to close the borders and to have fentanyl closed to the country,” Lutnick said.
“And of course, he's going to call them, and of course he's going to talk to them. And he's a deal maker, the greatest deal maker in the world. So he'll make a better deal. He closed the border. He got fentanyl to be closed. He put tariffs on China, which makes the precursors,” he said.
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5184699-commerce-sec-lutnick-defends-trump-tariffs/
