Trump defends plan to impose tariffs on imported goods

Rio Grande Guardian's Podcast

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - If elected president for a second time, former President Donald Trump says he will impose tariffs on automobiles manufactured in Mexico.

Trump made the announcement in the presidential debate in Philadelphia on Tuesday evening.

“They're building big auto plants in Mexico, in many cases owned by China. They're building these massive plants, and they think they're going to sell their cars into the United States because of these people (Biden Administration),” Trump said.

“What they have given to China is unbelievable, but we're not going to let that. We'll put tariffs in those cars so they can't come into our country, because they will kill the United Auto Workers and any auto worker, whether it's in Detroit or South Carolina or any other place. What they (Democrats) have done to business and manufacturing in this country is horrible.”

Democratic Party nominee Kamala Harris pushed back in the debate. She said the Biden Administration has created over 800,000 new manufacturing jobs.

“Donald Trump said he was going to create manufacturing jobs. He lost manufacturing jobs. And I'm also proud to have the endorsement of the United Auto Workers,” Harris said. “(They) know that part of building a clean energy economy includes investing in American made products, American automobiles. It includes growing what we can do around American manufacturing and opening up auto plants, not closing them, like happened under Donald Trump.”

Imposing tariffs on cars built in Mexico would fall foul of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, a free trade agreement then-President Trump supported as a successor to the North America Free Trade Agreement.

ABC’s debate moderator, David Muir pointed out that many economists have criticized Trump’s tariff plans, saying the increased costs of the goods would be passed on to U.S. consumers. Harris agreed.

“My opponent has a plan that I call the Trump Sales Tax, which would be a 20 percent tax on everyday goods that you rely on to get through the month,” Harris said. “Economists have said that the Trump Sales Tax would actually result for middle class families in about $4,000 more a year.”

Trump defended his proposals. He said the tariffs would be paid by the countries that the companies importing into the U.S. come from, not U.S. consumers.

“I have no sales tax. That is an incorrect statement. She knows that. We are (going to do) tariffs on other countries. They are finely, after 75 years, pay us back for all that we have done for the world. And the tariff will be substantial in some cases.”

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