WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he did not warn auto industry executives to raise prices as tariffs on foreign-made cars began to take effect, telling NBC News that he “don’t care” if they do.
The White House has been preparing to impose new tariffs on a range of consumer goods on April 2, a move that has attracted criticism from international leaders and concerns about potential price increases for consumers.
In an NBC News interview, Trump said his permanent tariffs on foreign-made cars would boost U.S. leading factories and was confident that the move would lead to higher sales of U.S.-made cars. “I hope they raise prices because if they do, people will buy American-made cars,” Trump said.
Trump insists that he will only consider negotiating tariffs “if people are willing to give us some great value.”
Tariffs are part of Trump’s efforts to promote U.S. manufacturing and reduce the country’s trade deficit.
Trump’s trade policy has been a focus of his presidency, with ongoing tensions with major trading partners.
(Reported by Mike Stone in Washington; edited by David Gregorio)
