Washington, D.C. – Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet today issued the following statement in response to President Trump’s announcement to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports:
“Provoking a global trade war with reckless tweets puts American jobs and businesses at risk and increases costs for American families. We need a thoughtful and aggressive response to China’s overproduction of steel and aluminum, but blanket tariffs are not the answer. The President’s action, motivated by his political whims rather than effective policy, will invite retaliation and isolate us further from our trading partners.”
Bennet, a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance with jurisdiction over international trade issues, has advocated for balanced and targeted trade policies. In June 2016, he sent a letter to President Obama urging his administration to take strong actions to address global steel overcapacity. In June 2017, Bennet led a letter with Colorado Senator Cory Gardner urging the Trump administration to narrowly tailor tariffs on aluminum imports. Last week, Bennet sent a bipartisan letter to President Trump urging him to lift his 30 percent tariff on imported solar panels and solar cells.