Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., said "no one wins in a trade war" and explained he hoped President Donald Trump's recent talk of tariffs was mere "posturing" aimed at results more fair for U.S. exporters, the Washington Examiner reported Friday.
"We are exporters. We are weary of trade wars," Gowdy told Fox News Friday. "I applaud the president for standing up for our manufacturers, but no one wins in a trade war and I hope all of this is just posturing for some more fairness from our trading partners."
Gowdy said he personally was a "fair trader," but acknowledged Trump's stance on protectionist platforms may have helped him garner votes when he ran for president in 2016.
Trump has announced tariffs on $150 billion of Chinese imports, with China threatening to impose tariffs on American exports. The threats have helped rattle financial markets, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling about 2 percent on Friday amid threats of a trade war with China.
Trump for his part has remained steadfast in his desire to level the playing field for U.S. products abroad. Trump, who has long chafed at the trade imbalance the U.S. has with China, this week tweeted:
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders reiterated the White House position on Friday, saying trade wars under Trump would be "absolutely" easy to win.
Gowdy's position on trade is shared with fellow lawmaker Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., who told Fox News "no one wins a trade war." Gowdy and Scott have been on a tour promoting a book they published recently.
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