White House defends tariffs on Brazil despite trade surplus

[ad_1] Nationwide Financial Council Director Kevin Hassett defended President Donald Trump’s newly unveiled 50% tariff in opposition to Brazil, america’ second-largest buying and selling accomplice, saying the transfer is a part of the administration’s broader international tariff technique.

Talking with ABC Information' "This Week" co-anchor Jonathan Karl, Hassett stated that the president has the authority to impose new tariffs if he thinks there's a nationwide protection emergency or a nationwide safety risk -- although Trump’s letter to Brazil highlighted the continued legal case in opposition to his political ally, former President Jair Bolsonaro.

“So how is it a nationwide safety risk ... how Brazil is dealing with a legal case in opposition to its former president?” Karl requested.

“Properly, that is not the one factor,” Hassett stated.

Director of the Nationwide Financial Council Kevin Hassett speaks to reporters exterior of the White Home, Mar. 7, 2025 in Washington.

Anna Moneymaker/Getty Pictures

“The underside line is that what we're doing completely, collectively throughout each nation is we're onshoring manufacturing within the U.S. to cut back the nationwide emergency, that's, that we've an enormous commerce deficit that is placing us in danger ought to we'd like manufacturing within the U.S. due to a nationwide safety disaster,” he added.

“However once more, as we have simply established, we've a commerce surplus with Brazil, not a deficit,” Karl famous.

“Should you have a look at an general technique, if you do not have an general technique for this, then there will be transshipping and every part else, and you will not obtain your aims,” Hassett stated.

Pressed by Karl about Trump’s latest criticism of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, Hassett echoed the White Home’s criticism of latest value overruns within the renovation of the Fed’s Washington, D.C., headquarters.

"I believe that whether or not the president decides to push down that street or not goes to rely lots on the solutions that we get to the questions that [Office of Management and Budget Director] Russ Vought despatched to the Fed," Hassett stated when requested if the associated fee overruns may very well be used as a pretext to fireplace Powell.

“Sure or no reply. Does the president, in your view, have the authority to fireplace the Fed chair?” Karl requested.

That is a factor that is being appeared into,” Hassett stated. “However actually, if there's trigger, he does.”

Listed here are extra highlights from Hassett's interview

On new tariffs with the European Union and Mexico Karl: So let me ask you, as a result of what we're listening to from the Europeans and from the Mexicans is that they have been in the course of these negotiations as this was, as this was happening, so is that this a negotiating tactic, or are these tariffs actual?

Hassett: These -- effectively, these tariffs are actual if the president does not get a deal that he thinks is sweet sufficient, however, you already know, conversations are ongoing, and we'll see the place the mud settles. The underside line is that President Trump has produced an enormous quantity of tariff income with the tariffs we have seen within the first half of the yr. The Congressional Funds Workplace has stated that tariff income over the following 10 years will assist scale back the deficit and safe our entitlement applications is $3 trillion and shoppers have not seen that.

, Shopper Value Index inflation proper now could be the bottom it has been in over a decade. And so what President Trump has all the time stated is that the international suppliers, the international governments are going to bear many of the tariffs. It is being visibly seen, and I believe that that is most likely affecting his negotiating place as a result of we have got all this empirical proof that his place has been confirmed right within the knowledge.

On copper tariffs Karl: Let me ask you concerning the 50% tariff that the president has imposed on copper imports. Copper, in fact, is broadly utilized in building, industrial manufacturing, automobiles, cellphones, and the like. That is what The Wall Avenue Journal needed to say about these tariffs: “Mister Trump goes to make U.S. companies pay 50% extra for a significant metallic whereas they wait 5 or extra years for U.S. sourcing. How does making it dearer to construct plane, ships, and ammunition promote nationwide safety? That is nationwide insecurity.” What's your response to The Wall Avenue Journal?

Hassett: Proper. The underside line is that if there's a time of struggle, then we have to have the metals that we have to produce American weapons, and copper is a key element in lots of American weapon units. And so, as we sit up for the threats that America faces, the president determined that we've loads of copper within the U.S., however not sufficient copper manufacturing. And that is why he is taken this sturdy step.

Karl: However are you involved concerning the impact of upper copper costs earlier than American manufacturing can rise up to hurry?

Hassett: The very fact is that that impact that you just're simply discussing is one thing that you just talked about that economists stated have been going to be coming all yr, these results, and inflation is means, means down. The truth is, inflation within the U.S. is correct about the identical stage as it's in Europe.