US President Donald Trump said yesterday, Sunday, that his customs duties policy aims to enhance the local manufacturing of tanks and technological products, not sports shoes and shirts, according to Reuters.
In his conversation with journalists before his rise to the presidential plane in New Jersey, Trump confirmed that he is consistent with the comments of Treasury Scott Besent on April 29 that the United States does not necessarily need a “prosperous textile industry”, comments that were met with criticism from the National Council for textile organizations.
“We are not looking to manufacture sports shoes and shirts. We want to make military equipment. We want to make big things. We want to manufacture artificial intelligence,” Trump added.
“Frankly, I am not looking to manufacture shirts. I am not looking to manufacture socks. We can do it very well in other locations. We are looking to manufacture chips, computers, many other things, tanks and ships.”
In response to Trump’s comments, the American Association for Clothes and Shoes said that customs duties are not good for industry.
“97 percent of the clothes and shoes we wear are imported, and since clothes and shoes are already the industry that is subject to the highest customs duties in the United States, we need to focus on logical solutions that can move things.”
He added, “More customs duties will only mean the high costs of inputs for American manufacturers and the high prices that will harm low -income consumers,” he added.
