(Radio Iowa) – President Trump announced Monday night he’ll impose 25 percent tariffs on Iowa’s two largest trading partners, Canada and Mexico.
In a conference call this morning with Iowa reporters, Senator Chuck Grassley called himself a “free trader” and says Trump’s tactics are “questionable” but he’s willing to pause and see if they’re effective. Grassley says Trump believes if you enact tariffs, it brings people to the negotiating table, and you get freer trade as a result.
Iowa exported five-and-a-half billion dollars worth of goods to Canada in 2023, which equated to 30-percent of the state’s total exports, while Mexico is Iowa’s second-largest trading partner.