Trump, China trade war: third tariff attacked by GOP, Democrats, business

President Donald
Trump
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• President Donald Trump announced tariffs on roughly
  $200 billion worth of Chinese goods will go into effect
  September 24.
• The tariffs will hit a wide range of industrial and
  consumer goods.
• The escalation of the US-China trade war drew criticism
  from Democrats, Republicans, and many business groups.
• The complaints warned that the tariffs will ultimately
  hurt US consumers and businesses, due to cost-increases for key
  goods.

President Donald Trump’s
decision to impose tariffs on another $200 billion worth of
Chinese goods drew a swift rebuke from lawmakers on both sides of
the aisle and business groups.

Trump announced Monday that the US Trade Representative would
begin to impose a 10% tariffs on Chinese goods ranging from

food to fabrics to industrial chemicals. The tariffs will
increase to 25% on January 1, 2019, unless the US and China agree
on a trade deal.

The escalation of the US-China trade war was quickly criticized
by both Republican and Democratic lawmakers along with many
business groups. All of the critiques centered on economists
warnings that the
tariffs would ultimately harm US business and consumers by

raising prices on imported goods from China.

Additionally, concerns about China’s retaliatory action on US
agricultural goods popped up from farmers groups.

Here’s a rundown of the criticism from lawmakers, business
groups, and conservative interest groups:

• Sen. Heidi Heitkamp
  (D-ND): “The reckless
  escalation of the administration’s trade war is having serious
  consequences for rural America, which is already suffering from
  the uncertainty and low commodity prices caused by the
  disruptions to our markets,” Heitkamp said.
• Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX, chair of the House Ways and
  Means
  committee): “Any time tariffs are
  imposed I worry that Americans will be forced to pay extra
  costs – in this case on nearly half of US imports from China,”
  Brady said. “I continue to emphasize that the ultimate means to
  create an effective outcome is for President Trump and
  President Xi to engage constructively to develop a long-term
  and profound solution that levels the playing field for
  American manufacturers, farmers, and workers.”
• National Retail Federation: “Every time
  this trade war escalates, the risk to US consumers
  grows. With these latest tariffs, many
  hardworking Americans will soon wonder why their shopping bills
  are higher and their budgets feel stretched,” Matthew Shay,
  president and CEO of the NRF, said.
• National Associations of Manufacturers:
  “No one wins in a trade war, and manufacturing workers are
  hopeful the administration’s approach will quickly yield
  results. Now is the time for talks—not just tariffs—and
  manufacturers have laid out a blueprint to reset the US-China
  commercial relationship that will result in ending China’s
  unfair and anti-competitive behavior,” Jay Timmons, NAM’s
  president and CEO, said.
• Consumer Technology
  Association: “Today’s
  retaliatory tariffs are not an effective trade policy
  and may violate US law. Congress has not given the president or
  the USTR a blank check to pursue a trade war,” Gary
  Shapiro, CTA’s president and CEO, said. “These new
  retaliatory tariffs run afoul of the carefully
  tailored provisions of the Trade Act of 1974, which require any
  action to be within the scope of the Section 301
  investigation. We urge the administration to reconsider
  its misguided approach of increasing tariffs, as they are
  directly paid for by American companies and consumers.”
• Americans For Farmers & Families:
  “As trade tensions escalate, and our ability to
  sell our goods to major markets diminishes, we’re having to
  make long-term business decisions that could affect our farms
  for generations,” Casey Guernsey, a
  seventh-generation farmer and spokesperson for AFF
  said. “Many family farmers are canceling new
  projects, selling their equipment and livestock, and even
  thinking about closing their operations entirely.”
• Freedom Partners (conservative lobbying
  group): “These tariffs are ‘all pain, no
  gain’ for American businesses and workers. Countless American
  employers weighed in on this idea during the comment period and
  told the administration these tariffs would be
  job-killers. Unfortunately, their pleas have fallen on deaf
  ears,” Nathan Nascimento, Freedom Partners’ Executive
  Vice President, said.