United States Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.)
"Forty years ago, I helped convince Nissan to build here what they sell here-they built a plant in Smyrna, others followed, and today one-third of Tennessee's manufacturing jobs are auto related, 967 foreign based businesses employ more than 140,000 Tennesseans, and we have more than 900 automotive suppliers in 88 of our 95 counties. Tariffs on the imports of cars and auto parts will not put our workers first by making it more expensive to build and sell cars here. They will destroy the thriving automotive industry that has been built by thousands of skilled Tennessee workers."
U.S. Sen. Bob Corker said today that President Donald Trump is abusing his authority by citing national security as an excuse to slap tariffs on imported vehicles and parts.
The Wall Street Journal reported Trump is asking for up to 25 percent new duties on auto imports and is seeking to use a legal provision of the 1962 Trade Expansion Act related to national security. The Journal said Trump used the same law to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports in March.
"I am very concerned about the president abusing the authorities granted to him in Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962," Corker said in a statement.
"There is no reason to use this provision to consider imposing tariffs on the automobile industry, and this appears to be either an attempt to affect domestic politics ahead of the election or for some other transactional purpose regarding ongoing trade discussions. This is a dangerous course and should be abandoned immediately."