Senator Mitch McConnell has criticised the new tariffs announced by President Donald Trump, cautioning the United States against picking fights with its allies.
On Thursday, McConnell stated that tariffs would make it more expensive to do business in America and drive up costs for producers and consumers across the board.
The ranking Democrat lawmaker, in a statement, described tariffs as “bad policy,” adding that trade wars with U.S. partners hurt working people the most.
“Tariffs drive up the cost of goods and services. They are a tax on everyday working Americans,” McConnell wrote.
Preserving the long-term prosperity of American industry and workers, according to McConnell, requires working with U.S. allies, not against them.
He added that with so much at stake globally, “the last thing we need is to pick fights with the very friends with whom we should be working to protect against China’s predatory and unfair trade practices.”
McConnell warned that with higher broad-based tariffs, goods made in America will become more expensive to manufacture and, ultimately, for consumers to purchase.
“We ought to strengthen our friendships abroad and reinforce our allies as pillars of American prosperity and security,” he added.
