WILMINGTON, Del. – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) issued the following statement today after President Trump imposed tariffs of 25% on goods from Mexico and Canada and 10% on goods from China:
“When President Trump accepted the nomination at the Republican National Convention last July, he made this promise to the American people: ‘starting on day one, we will drive down prices to make America more affordable.’ Today, on day thirteen of his presidency, he imposed tariffs that will send prices skyrocketing.
“China, Mexico, and Canada are our three largest trading partners. American families will soon pay higher prices for avocados and appliances, diesel fuel and dog toys, car parts and Christmas lights, tomatoes and tequila, beer and gas. It’s the largest tax increase on working Americans in a long time, and it will cost them thousands of dollars every year. President Trump is making America expensive again.
“These countries will promptly retaliate against President Trump’s tariffs with tariffs of their own. Thanks to President Trump’s needless trade war, the workers, businesses, farmers, and ranchers who produce American exports will soon find it harder to reach their foreign customers. These tariffs will hit Delaware’s poultry growers, who export more chickens to Mexico and Canada than anywhere else, especially hard.
“These tariffs not only make Americans poorer, they also make us less safe. One of our biggest assets is our global network of allies and partners, while our adversaries only have nervous neighbors and client states. Today, President Trump is transforming two of our closest partners into nervous neighbors. It sends a clear message to would-be allies: aligning with the United States won’t protect you from economic bullying. Judging the various levels of today’s tariffs, it may put you even more at risk.”