WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX) and Trade Subcommittee Chairman Dave Reichert (R-WA) issued the following statements today after President Trump took action to impose tariffs on certain imports of steel and aluminum.

Chairman Brady said:

“Clearly President Trump has listened to Congress and job-creators all over America by improving the original proposal to create a path to allow fairly traded steel and aluminum to be excluded country-by-country and business-by-business. Exempting Canada and Mexico is a good first step, and I urge the White House to go further to narrow these tariffs so they hit the intended target – and not U.S. workers, businesses, and families.  

“As America’s economy and trading partners react to these new taxes, Congress – which has constitutional authority over trade with foreign nations – will continue to be actively engaged with the Administration to preserve the strong economic momentum created by President Trump’s tax cuts and reforms.”

Chairman Reichert added:

“I appreciate that President Trump heard our call for a more targeted approach. Now, we must ensure the process for excluding countries and companies is effective and provides the relief necessary for our manufacturers and businesses to remain globally competitive. We cannot allow for increased costs and disruptions in supply chains that undermine the pro-growth benefits of our successful tax reform effort. And with 40% of jobs tied to trade in my home state of Washington, we cannot take actions that hurt the ability of our exporters to sell their American-made goods and services around the world. I will continue to work with the Administration to narrow the application of these tariffs through the exclusion process, so that the end result protects the American workers, consumers, and businesses who rely on imports of aluminum and steel and access to overseas markets.”

BACKGROUND: Yesterday, Chairman Brady and Trade Subcommittee Chairman Dave Reichert led more than 100 House Republicans in sending a letter to President Trump that reinforced the need to take action against China and other unfair trading partners while expressing concerns that broad tariffs could harm America’s jobs, manufacturers, and consumers. The letter also outlined several recommendations to hold countries accountable without disrupting the flow of fairly traded products that American manufacturers rely on.

CLICK HERE to read the full letter.