Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) applauded President Trump’s menace to place a 200 p.c tariff on wine, Champagne and different alcohol imported from the European Union (EU) if the bloc doesn’t take away a tariff on U.S. whiskey.
“I think the president’s right over the target. People in Ohio love Donald Trump, and his message is perfectly crafted for our state,” Davidson stated throughout a Thursday look on NewsNation’s “The Hill.”
“You know, I was in manufacturing before I was in Congress, and we don’t have a level playing field in manufacturing, and not just with China, with lots of other countries too. Donald Trump is taking that on and saying, ‘if you want to tariff us, we’re going to tariff you,’” he continued.
Davidson’s house state produces greater than one million gallons of wine a 12 months, and will reap the advantages of the tariffs.
“While America might import more French wine than France imports American wine, or certainly more than import Ohio wine, they import a lot of bourbon, and they import a lot of other things from the United States,” the Ohio lawmaker stated of Trump’s plans.
“So I think the message is clear, come negotiate with us, treat us fairly, and then help us deal with China,” he added.
Trump’s commerce warfare with Europe escalated Wednesday when his 25 p.c tariffs on metal and aluminum took impact. In response, the EU retaliated with a two-step method, permitting the suspension of the prevailing 2018 and 2020 countermeasures in opposition to the U.S. to run out April 1 and proposing a brand new package deal of countermeasures on items coming from the U.S. that can go into impact in mid-April, overlaying some $28 billion in imports in complete.
Trump additionally added an extra 10 p.c on imports from China this month which the nation’s leaders retaliated in opposition to via 15 p.c tariffs on imports of hen, wheat, corn and cotton from the U.S., in addition to 10 p.c tariffs on imports of sorghum, soybeans, pork, beef, seafoods, fruits greens and dairy merchandise.
China’s Commerce Ministry spokesperson has described Trump’s actions as “blackmail” and has stated it could file a authorized case in opposition to the USA on the World Commerce Group (WTO).
Canada has filed two complaints with the WTO, the most recent one was submitted on Thursday which included allegations that the U.S. violated its obligations beneath the Normal Settlement on Tariffs and Commerce (GATT) 1994.
