WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on President Trump and trade all times local):
10:45 a.m.
House Speaker Paul Ryan says lawmakers are making the case to President Donald Trump that tariffs are “not the way to go.”
The Republican leader told reporters Tuesday, “I’ve made it pretty clear I don’t think tariffs are the right answer.”
Ryan said he understood Trump’s goal — of trying to get a “better deal for Americans” — but he disagreed with the president’s strategy. Ryan said he doesn’t support tariffs. He added that, “Tariffs are taxes.”
Ryan’s remarks came a couple hours after Trump tweeted that “Tariffs are the greatest!” and threatened to impose additional penalties on U.S. trading partners.
The president is meeting with European officials on Wednesday at the White House. The U.S. and European allies have been at odds over Trump’s tariffs on steel imports and are meeting as the trade dispute threatens to spread to automobile production.
____
7:53 a.m.
President Donald Trump is declaring that “Tariffs are the greatest!” and threatening to impose additional penalties on U.S. trading partners as he prepares for negotiations with European officials at the White House.
Trump is tweeting that trade partners need to either negotiate a “fair deal, or it gets hit with Tariffs. It’s as simple as that.”
The president writes that the U.S. is a “‘piggy bank’ that’s being robbed.” He notes that countries “that have treated us unfairly on trade for years” are coming to Washington to negotiate.
Trump is meeting with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker (zhahn-KLOHD’ YUN’-kur) on Wednesday. The U.S. and European allies have been at odds over the president’s tariffs on steel imports and are meeting as the trade dispute threatens to spread to automobile production.
