President Donald Trump doesn't want a trade war, but he wants fair trade with other nations, Rep. Jim Renacci said Monday in defense of tariffs being levied on foreign goods.
"We can't continue to have these unfair trade policies, especially with China," the Ohio Republican told Fox News' "America's Newsroom."
"I'm glad to see the president doing what he is doing. In the end it's part of negotiations and I think this is what this president does best."
The results may be "a little uncomfortable for a while," but the president does want trade to be fair.
"It is not there now," said Renacci. "When you travel the world and find out American goods, we pay 20 percent or 10 percent or two percent when we go to other countries but two percent when they come back. [It] is unfair right now."
In the long run, though, Trump's tariffs will help the economy, said Renacci
"We'll be able to move America forward and make a fairer trading system," the congressman said. "I'm all for free trade but we have to have fair trade as well. We can't let the other countries continue to do what they're doing. It will be a little uncomfortable as we go through the negotiations. Let's get through them."
Meanwhile, it's important to look at the positive aspects, he stressed.
"We have a steel mill being re-energized in Ohio," he said. "We have to look at positives occurring. That's what's important. We will have a little pain, but this will be for a long-term gain and we need it.
"Too often we just did political things for the last 10, 20 years. Everything is about politics. I was a businessman for 28 years. You try things, negotiate and pull back."
China, he added, has not been trading fairly with the United States for years, but past presidents have let it go, said Renacci.
"It's time we do things and the president is trying to get us more fair and freer trade with China," said Renacci.
"When I was in business, some of my competitors were my closest friends but in the end you have to do what's best for your business even if it sometimes hurts your competitors because we have to make sure that America is moving forward."
The European Union is threatening some $300 billion in tariffs, but Renacci said already, there are not many American cars in Europe because of tariffs.
"We need to make sure this is fair," he said. "I think in the end we need to give this president the opportunity to negotiate, what he is trying to do. We need to be able to see where we come out of all this."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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