Jason Smith: A trade agenda that puts America first

(From Eighth District Congressman Jason Smith)

Since the day he took office, President Donald Trump has proved that he will use every tool he has to enact the policies needed to make America great again. 

Whether it was his executive actions to secure the border, combat the Left’s radical woke agenda, or launch his America-first trade policies, he’s doing an excellent job using his power as president to make sweeping policy changes. And one of the most important tools he has as Commander in Chief is tariffs.

President Trump has done an incredible job of using tariffs to secure wins for the American people – including when it comes to securing the border and ending the fentanyl crisis. His plan to hit Mexico with a 25% tariff led to that nation’s president making a commitment to send 10,000 troops to help secure the border. He used a similar strategy to get the Canadian Prime Minister to step up his nation’s efforts to combat the fentanyl crisis that’s destroying lives and communities across America. He gave Canada and Mexico 30 days to prove they are keeping their promise. If they fail to act, President Trump’s tariffs will go into effect.

President Trump’s trade actions aren’t just going to help secure the border and combat the fentanyl crisis. He made it crystal clear that he won’t hesitate to use tariffs to secure wins for the American people. President Trump put every nation in the world on notice that if they actively support policies that hurt Americans, they will pay the price.

Trade policy significantly impacts places like southeast and south-central Missouri where agriculture and manufacturing are key economic drivers. That’s why, as Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee – which has jurisdiction over trade – I’ve been working around the clock to advance policies that put hardworking Missourians first. I’ve led the fight against Mexico’s ban on U.S. corn, Canada’s restrictions on U.S. dairy products, and China’s harmful trade policies. 

I’ve met with leaders of dozens of nations across the globe to urge them to eliminate unfair tariffs and non-tariff barriers on Missouri agriculture products, like beef, pork, soybeans, rice, and more. I’m incredibly grateful that we now have a president who is a fearless advocate for Missouri farmers, ranchers, workers, and small businesses.

President Trump has wasted no time transforming America’s trade policies. And he’s only getting started. He’ll use all the tools he has to protect and create jobs here at home. He’ll enact the policies we need to strengthen our supply chains and reduce our dependence on other nations that aren’t our friends. And he’ll use tariffs to bring billions of dollars into U.S. coffers – something that will help address the debt crisis created by out-of-control Washington Democrat spending. I’ll continue working closely with him to advance the policies we need to make our nation great again.