AFP to Trump Administration: No New Auto Tariffs

Feb 19, 2019 by AFP

ARLINGTON, Va. – Americans for Prosperity today urged the Trump administration to drop a planned tariff of up to 25 percent on imported vehicles, in light of news reports of a new Department of Commerce report on the subject.

AFP President Tim Phillips issued the following statement:

“Increasing the cost of foreign cars doesn’t make American companies more competitive, it just forces American consumers to pay more. More expensive cars mean more barriers to opportunity for the average family and worker who relies on an affordable car to support a small business, commute to work, visit loved ones, and shuttle kids to school and soccer practice.

“The impact of new auto tariffs would be borne by communities otherwise thriving from tax reform and this administration’s regulatory relief efforts. Piling on more tariffs puts America’s strong economy at risk and further jeopardizes the most vulnerable in our society by inviting retaliation from our trading partners. We urge the administration to abandon the auto tariffs and re-negotiate with the European Union to eliminate all car tariffs.”

Background

Trade principles:

The United States should eliminate all trade barriers, regardless of other countries’ trade policies, in order to provide Americans lower prices, more jobs and bigger paychecks, and to drive innovation through competition.
Individuals and businesses in a competitive market, not government bureaucrats or politicians, should guide trade decisions.
Punitive measures such as tariffs and quotas are an unjust government intrusion into the lives of hardworking Americans. They violate the property and associational rights of individuals and should all be eliminated.
Subsidies and other forms of government supports for powerful and politically connected businesses and industries do not create value. They punish consumers, burden taxpayers, insulate businesses from market competition, and should be eliminated.
Trade disputes should be resolved through existing international trade agreements and organizations.
While national security interests may be a consideration in trade policy, they should be used to restrict trade only when there is truly a narrow national security interest at stake, not as a workaround to impose tariffs.

For further information or to set up an interview, please send an email to GBraud@afphq.org.

Through broad-based grassroots outreach, Americans for Prosperity (AFP) is driving long-term solutions to the country’s biggest problems. AFP activists engage friends and neighbors on key issues and encourage them to take an active role in building a culture of mutual benefit, where people succeed by helping one another. AFP recruits and unites activists in 35 states behind a common goal of advancing policies that will help people improve their lives. For more information, visit www.americansforprosperity.org

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