Representative Smith Statement on Trump's Tariffs

April 3, 2025 Press Release WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Smith (D-Wash.) released the following statement in response to President Trump’s new announcement of global tariffs. "Today, President Trump has decided to further isolate and weaken the American economy with a slew of tariffs on nations across the world – starting at a base of a new 10% universal tariff. "Tariffs can be useful tools. When used strategically, they can promote growth, protect jobs, or increase manufacturing. However, the Trump Administration has chosen to use tariffs as an indiscriminate meat axe that does nothing to actually solve the problems our country faces. "This will be an utter disaster. President Trump will inevitably start walking back some of these extreme policies when he sees how much damage they cause – but he shouldn’t have offered these senseless tariffs and thrown our economy into chaos in the first place. "It’s past time to stop this on-again, off-again tariff cycle that reduces consumer confidence, adds unnecessary stress for hardworking Americans, and hurts business’ ability to plan for the future." ###