Imposing tariffs on the European Union at the same time you're insisting that the continent spend more on its own defense undermines that request, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and two Democratic colleagues told the president in a letter last week. That's because even a 10% tariff on EU exports will stifle its economy, they argued.
Vice President JD Vance, meeting with the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, said that "of course, we have some disagreements on things like trade," but that he hopes their conversation "will be the beginning of some long-term trade negotiations and some long-term trade advantages between both Europe and the United States."
The Commerce Department estimates that automakers will be able to save about $10 billion annually in tariffs on USMCA-qualifying cars, trucks and minivans imported from Canada or Mexico by submitting documentation to the International Trade Commission about the U.S. content in those vehicles. However, that estimate assumes that 25% tariffs on imported cars do not change the buying patterns of U.S. consumers, nor the production choices of automakers.
Five senators, both Republicans and Democrats, asked Jamieson Greer, then the U.S. trade representative nominee, to advocate for a formal exclusion process to tariffs, as was done for the Section 301 tariffs in Trump's first term. These written exchanges were recently posted at the Senate Finance Committee website, long after Greer's confirmation vote.
A bill that would require the FDA to "significantly increase testing of imported shrimp and publicly report inspection results" was introduced this week by Reps. Mike Ezell, R-Miss., Julia Letlow, R-La., and Troy Carter, D-La.
At a subcommitee hearing called "Foreign Threats to American Innovation and Economic Leadership," senators shared their frustration that they had a similar hearing about the profusion of counterfeit products for sale online two years ago, and still, they haven't been able to make a difference (see 2310030071).
A reduction in reciprocal tariffs on Chinese goods to 10% has not ended the harm to families that need to stock up for new babies, Congress's "Dads Caucus" argued at a press conference May 15.
Trade groups representing three strong exporting sectors -- soybeans, semiconductors and medical devices -- and an expert in critical minerals trade all told the Senate Finance Committee that higher tariffs on all countries and products, and constantly changing tariff policy, aren't good for American competitiveness.
Thea Lee, head of the Bureau of International Labor Affairs during the Biden administration, complained that the tariff approach of the Trump administration ignores forced labor, and that the Department of Government Efficiency ended all the programs ILAB funded around the world. Those programs aimed to convince local societies to end child labor, to help foreign countries improve working conditions, and they funded research on the best ways to achieve these goals. The grants totaled more than $575 million, and some were scheduled to run through 2026, 2027 or 2028.
The Senate Finance Committee's top Democrat, Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, said he thinks Republicans in Congress will act to reverse some of the tariffs President Donald Trump has imposed -- if they hear enough outrage from Republican base voters.