Sen. Ron Johnson said President Trump’s push to impose tariffs on some imports will do more harm than good and said he doesn’t buy that the idea that the move is needed to bolster national security.
Mr. Johnson, Wisconsin Republican, said the plan could spark a trade war, threaten hundreds of thousands of jobs that utilize steel, and leave consumers paying higher prices.
“It is actually very disappointing that free and fair trade is not politically popular,” Mr. Johnson said on CNN.
“I don’t believe it meets that national security threshold at all,” he said.
Mr. Trump vowed during the 2016 presidential campaign to bring jobs back to steel country and announced this week that he plans to slap a 25 percent tariff on steel imports and 10 percent on aluminum imports.
The tariffs are based on Section 232 of a 1962 U.S. law that allows safeguards based on “national security.”
Mr. Trump’s push has been celebrated by leaders of the steel industry and faced stiff opposition from lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
“I just don’t believe anyone wins in a trade war,” Mr. Johnson said.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
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