Autoworkers union cheers Trump's 'aggressive' tariff actions

The United Auto Workers (UAW) union said it supported President Trump’s Tuesday tariffs, offering a full backing for the “aggressive” action seeking to alter past trade agreements with neighboring countries.

“Tariffs are a powerful tool in the toolbox for undoing the injustice of anti-worker trade deals,” the union wrote in a Tuesday statement.

On Tuesday, the Trump administration imposed 25 percent tariffs on most imports from Canada and Mexico and a new 10 percent tariff on imports from China.

“We are glad to see an American president take aggressive action on ending the free trade disaster that has dropped like a bomb on the working class,” the union wrote.

In its response to the president's move, the UAW accused corporations of “killing good blue-collar jobs” by prioritizing foreign manufacturing over production within the United States.

“We want to see corporate America, from the auto industry and beyond, recommit to the working class that makes the products and generates the profits that keep this country running,” the union wrote in their statement.

“The UAW is in active negotiations with the Trump Administration about their plans to end the free trade disaster,” they continued.

The group said they are helping shape President Trump’s proposed reciprocal tariffs set to take form in April. Their alliance with the president comes in stark contrast to their endorsement of former President Biden during the 2024 campaign season. The UAW leader also slammed Trump for his billionaire status.

“Joe Biden bet on the American worker while Donald Trump blamed the American worker. We need to know who’s going to sit in the most powerful seat in the world, and help us win as a united working class,” UAW President Shawn Fain said in January 2024.

Though the union’s tune has changed, neighboring nations' discontent over Trump’s tariffs is steadily growing. Canada and China have both announced retaliatory tariffs on a wide range of imports, which will likely cause consumer prices to swell.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said hikes will cripple every nation involved. The Latin American country is expected to announce retaliatory tariffs over the weekend.

“It's inconceivable that they don't think about the damage this is going to cause to United States citizens and businesses with the increase in prices for things produced in our country," Sheinbaum said during televised remarks on Tuesday.

"Also, the damage it will cause by stopping job creation in both countries. No one wins with this decision."

Topics

Mexico will respond with retaliatory tariffs after Trump action, Sheinbaum says

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said she will announce retaliatory tariffs on Sunday in response to President Trump implementing 25 percent tariffs on goods from Mexico. She announced at her ...
The Hill - 10h
Trump suggests Musk needs to be 'more aggressive'

President Trump suggested in a new post that tech billionaire Elon Musk, one of his closest allies, needs to be “more aggressive" — presumably referring to his efforts to slash spending, downsize ...
The Hill - Feb. 22
A Russia-Friendly Region in Bosnia Cheers Trump’s Return

Many ethnic Serbs in what was once Yugoslavia have long chafed at Washington’s foreign policy. ‘Trump’s America is different,’ said a former leader of a Serb enclave in Bosnia.
The New York Times - 11h
The state of the union under Trump is ... definitely not strong

President Trump faces a challenge in his speech to Congress, as he must address the shaky state of the nation, rising inflation, and his controversial economic policies, while also trying to rally ...
The Hill - 1d
Coach of top-ranked college basketball team cheers Trump's Bongino pick

The coach of Auburn University's men's basketball team, currently the top-ranked team in the country, posted in support of President Trump's announcement Sunday that conservative commentator Dan ...
The Hill - Feb. 24
Medvedev cheers Trump for Zelensky's 'proper slap down' in Oval Office

Top Russian official and former president Dmitry Medvedev celebrated what he called President Trump’s “proper slap down” of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office on Friday. “The ...
The Hill - 4d
‘Trump is kicking ass’: supporters cheer president’s frenzied first weeks

Core voters in Georgia are keeping the faith as the US administration tears up the rule book
Financial Times - 20h
Tariff uncertainty is weighing on market action, Jim Cramer says

CNBC's Jim Cramer suggested uncertainty regarding tariff policy will continue to shape market action.
CNBC - 6d
Pritzker: Trump actions 'threat to our democracy'

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) on Wednesday called President Trump’s efforts to reshape and shrink the federal government a “threat to our democracy.” “The things that I'm speaking out about now, ...
The Hill - 5d