Congressman Perry offered the following statement upon the announcement of President Trump's proposed tariffs on steel and aluminum:
“Trade deficits are detrimental to the long-term health of our economy. The U.S. trade deficit rose to $50.5 billion in November 2017, the largest imbalance in nearly 6 years, and is unsustainable. We need to evaluate our trade deals and ensure that Americans are getting a fair chance to compete globally. We need to crack down on bad actors and those who aren’t playing by the rules of fair trade around the world. We need to hold Americans harmless in the process of reevaluating our trade policies. While I appreciate the President’s sentiment, broad-based tariffs won’t achieve those objectives. A more measured and specific approach to addressing this imbalance is necessary to protect American jobs over the long term. I’m looking forward to working with the President on this issue and believe it’s something on which we can develop consensus.”
