WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on President Donald Trump and Harley-Davidson (all times local):
11:20 a.m.
House Speaker Paul Ryan is criticizing Trump administration trade policy after Harley-Davidson cited retaliatory tariffs as why it’s shifting some production of motorcycles overseas.
The Wisconsin Republican tells reporters Tuesday he doesn’t think tariffs “are the right way to go.” He didn’t mention President Donald Trump by name but says tariffs are “basically taxes.”
Trump has imposed tariffs on aluminum and steel imported from Europe and elsewhere. Those countries retaliated with tariffs of their own.
Trump has previously cited the motorcycle maker as an example of a U.S. company hurt by foreign trade barriers. Tuesday he threatened Harley-Davidson, saying shifting production would be “the beginning of the end.”
Ryan says the U.S. should counter unfair trading practices, but says, “There are better tools than tariff increases.”
Harley-Davidson is based in Milwaukee.
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7:57 a.m.
President Donald Trump is denying that his trade policy is responsible for Harley-Davidson’s decision to some motorcycle production overseas.
The company says it’s doing so because of tariffs it’s facing in a trade dispute between the U.S. and the European Union. But Trump says that’s an excuse.
Trump says in tweets Tuesday that the company had already announced it was closing a Kansas City plant. Union officials have said those jobs are going to Thailand. Harley-Davidson has denied that.
Says Trump: “That was long before Tariffs were announced. Hence, they were just using Tariffs/Trade War as an excuse. Shows how unbalanced & unfair trade is, but we will fix it ….”
Trump says he’s getting other countries to reduce and eliminate tariffs and trade barriers, and open up closed markets.
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