President of the United States Donald Trump noted that existing tariffs could become permanent, as they encourage local businesses to open manufacturing in the USA rather than abroad. He believes that if companies are confident in the cancellation of tariffs, it will reduce their motivation to relocate production to the United States.
This is reported by Finway
Trump expressed his opinion in an interview with NBC News, stating:
“No, I wouldn’t do that, because if someone thinks that tariffs will be canceled, why would they build [manufacturing] in the United States?”
. In his view, this position will help reduce the USA’s dependence on imports.
The president also reminded about his tough trade policy towards China, emphasizing that it has forced Beijing to seek a new deal with Washington:
“This means we are not losing a trillion dollars because we are not doing business with them right now. And they want to make a deal. They really want to make a deal. We’ll see how this all turns out, but it has to be a fair deal.”
Trump also emphasized that he does not plan to make exceptions for American small businesses regarding tariffs, as entrepreneurs do not need such concessions. It is worth noting that on April 2, the president announced the introduction of import tariffs on products from 185 countries and territories, with Russia not included in this list. As of April 5, universal tariffs of 10% were implemented, and individual tariffs were introduced on April 9.
A 90-day pause on additional import tariffs for certain countries was also announced, related to ongoing trade negotiations, during which a single tariff of 10% applies. At the same time, tariffs on Chinese products were raised to 125%. Previously, the USA had already imposed a 20% tariff, arguing that China, Canada, and Mexico were not doing enough to combat the illegal importation of fentanyl. The total amount of tariffs on Chinese goods reached 145%. In response to these actions, Beijing raised tariffs on American products to 125% as of April 12.