U.S. Representative Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09), the Ranking Member of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade, gave the following statement regarding the announcement that the Trump Administration was levying $50 billion in tariffs against China.

“China has been cheating on the world stage for too long, and our trade deficit with China has cost us millions of U.S. jobs. I supported the decision to investigate China’s IP theft and forced technology transfer practices under section 301, and tariffs can be a tool to address their abuses. But we need a coherent strategy to engage with allies to confront China. At the same time that the Trump White House announces new tariffs on Chinese goods, it is finalizing a roll back of sanctions on Chinese company ZTE – a known national security threat that was caught undermining U.S. sanctions on Iran and North Korea. Why is Trump helping Chinese lawbreakers instead of creating jobs here at home? I fear a chaotic and seemingly ad hoc trade policy will be ineffective in confronting China. Our trade policy must reflect the needs of U.S. workers and their families, not the whims of an executive who flatters dictators.”