Dockworkers and truckers are out of work or worried about their jobs as China's trade with the United States is in trouble and "should be very optimistic and positive because the president is admittedly," Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Sunday.
Port volumes on the West Coast fell as a result of a 145% penalty tariff on Chinese imports to the United States came into effect. Trump said that was “a good thing.”
"It's good … It means we're losing less money," the president said in the Oval Office last week. When reporters asked workers when they were worried about a sharp drop in trade. "When you say it slows down, that's a good thing, not a bad thing," Trump added.
Less cargo means fewer jobs for people transporting imported goods, such as dock workers and truck drivers. They already felt the pinch.
"Today, we have some members from the North among the 235 members who are looking for a job but are unable to get a job," Sal Dicontanza, a contact port of international long-term and warehouse alliance, told NBC Los Angeles on Friday. “It starts to show a real loss of our members’ jobs and income.”
Lutnick said the U.S. workers should remain "optimistic", but he also said they could expect tariffs to continue until the "foreseeable future."
"We do want to hit a benchmark tariff of 10% in the foreseeable future, but don't buy the stupid arguments that American consumers pay for," Lutnik said on CNN. internationality On Sunday.
When host Dana Bash told Lutnick that “the tariffs are paid by American consumers,” the secretary replied, “Well, I don’t agree with that.”
“I’m going to say that most economists disagree on this,” Bash said. “And we’ve seen it shifted to American consumers time and time again.”
bash is right. Economists largely agree that American companies pay to import these goods into the United States, and these companies usually transfer additional fees to consumers by raising prices.
A study of tariffs imposed by Trump during his first term found that American consumers paid tariffs at higher prices for washing machines, solar panels, aluminum, steel, aluminum, steel and commodities from China and the European Union. This caused net losses for companies and consumers and lost $16 billion in U.S. economic losses. Another study of Trump’s first semester tariffs concluded that “U.S. tariffs are almost entirely borne by American companies and consumers.”
Consumers have seen higher prices for imported goods due to Trump’s tariffs. But Trump administration officials are trying to paint rosy pictures like Lutnik, or avoid the issue of rising prices.
Rep. Mark Pocan testified to Congress last week, demanding Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent pay tariffs. It continues to be bound before saying that the answer is "very complicated".
The United States and China are currently holding trade talks in Switzerland. Bessent said on Saturday night that “significant progress” had been made in the talks, while Trump said both sides had received a “complete reset… reset in a friendly but constructive way.”
As Rolling stones Despite the administration’s optimism about privateness, Trump officials and others working in Republican politics have been stocking up in stocks, which is a shortage of expectations.
Economists warn that the ongoing global trade war will slow global economic growth and may put the United States in recession. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell warned that Trump's tariffs could lead to higher inflation and increased unemployment.
"The impact on inflation may be short-lived, reflecting a one-time shift in price levels. The impact on inflation may also be longer-lasting," he said.