The United States had been “unbelievably taken advantage of” for years through unequal tariff policies and higher foreign tariffs on American goods, which forced U.S. leaders to rethink long-standing assumptions about free trade, said Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Pa.
Speaking on Newsmax TV’s “National Report,” Meuser said Americans were traditionally taught that tariffs could lead to isolationism and broader global economic problems, but he contended that the situation changed when U.S. trading partners imposed steep barriers while enjoying relatively low access costs to the American market.
“Look, we were being unbelievably taken advantage of,” Meuser said. “We had to rethink tariffs.”
Meuser pointed to India and Japan as examples of countries he described as friendly nations that nevertheless maintained tariff structures he said were heavily tilted against the U.S.
He said India has tariffs as high as 75% on American goods, while the U.S. has tariffs of about 3% on Indian products. He also highlighted Japan’s auto market, claiming Japan imposes tariffs of about 100% on automobiles, compared with the U.S. tariff rate of roughly 3.5%.
“You know, guess what,” Meuser said. “They sell lots of cars here. We sell none over there.”
Meuser said President Donald Trump recognized the imbalance and moved aggressively to address it, describing the administration’s approach as “shock and awe” meant to force trading partners to the negotiating table.
“The president sees this,” Meuser said. “It was wrong. And he corrected it with a little bit of shock and awe.”
Meuser argued that the strategy is now being managed “in a highly effective manner,” with the goal of strengthening domestic manufacturing, supporting American farmers, and boosting wages and overall economic growth.
He said a more assertive tariff posture can help spur investment and production in the United States by discouraging companies from relying on foreign markets that he said were propped up by artificial advantages.
Meuser also suggested the administration’s policy is intended to bring other nations “along with us,” rather than harm them, by encouraging fairer trade terms that don’t allow foreign economies to “survive on an artificial basis.”
The comments come as tariffs remain a central issue in the national economic debate, with supporters arguing they protect U.S. industries and critics warning they can raise consumer prices and strain global trade relationships.
Meuser said the U.S. has an opportunity to reset those relationships, insisting that a tougher stance is necessary when trade partners do not offer reciprocal access.
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Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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