(The Center Square) – While Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker says President Donald Trump’s 25% tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum will increase the cost of doing business, Trump administration officials say it will bring jobs back to the struggling industries.
Amid several other executive actions Trump took Monday evening in the oval office, two dealt with applying 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum coming from other countries.
“It’s a big deal. This is the beginning of making America rich again,” Trump said as he signed the executive actions.
Earlier in the day Monday, Pritzker said he recently met with a beer brewer about the possible impacts of steel and aluminum tariffs on his industry.
“The cost for him of providing beer in a can would go up substantially and may make it so they would have to go out of business,” Pritzker said.
Pritzker went further to speculate what he thinks is behind the effort.
“It is not because he is looking for trade fairness. It appears, likely, that this is about paying for the tax cut that he intends to provide to the wealthiest Americans,” Pritzker said.
Standing next to the president Monday evening, Trump’s appointed Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the tariffs aim to bring more jobs to the U.S.
“These are steel workers in America and now you’re going to bring them back, you’re gonna bring those 120,000 jobs back to America,” Lutnick said. “You are the president who is standing up for the American steel worker.”
After signing the orders, Trump said that is his intention.
“So if it’s made in the United States, there is no tariff,” Trump said. “All you have to do is make it in the United States. We don’t need it from another country.”
Trump said further tariffs on other goods coming from foreign countries, like microchips and vehicles, is on the horizon.
