President Donald Trump takes questions from reporters on the tarmac in Morristown, New Jersey.
President Donald Trump stated on Sunday that his tariff coverage goals to encourage the home manufacturing of tanks and expertise merchandise – not T-shirts and sneakers.
Chatting with reporters earlier than boarding Air Power One in New Jersey, Trump stated he agreed with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s April 29 feedback that the U.S. doesn’t essentially want a “booming textile business.” Bessent’s assertion on the time met the ire of the Nationwide Council of Textile Organizations.
“We’re not trying to make sneakers and T-shirts,” Trump stated on Sunday. “We need to make navy tools. We need to make huge issues. We need to make, do the AI factor.”
TRUMP GRANTS EU TARIFF EXTENSION AFTER ‘GOOD CALL’ WITH URSULA VON DER LEYEN
President Donald Trump speaks to journalists earlier than boarding Air Power One from Morristown Municipal Airport in Morristown, New Jersey, Could 25, 2025. (SAUL LOEB/AFP by way of Getty Photos / Getty Photos)
“I am not trying to make T-shirts, to be trustworthy. I am not trying to make socks. We will try this very effectively in different areas. We wish to do chips and computer systems and plenty of different issues, and tanks and ships,” the president continued.
In response to Trump’s feedback, the American Attire & Footwear Affiliation stated tariffs are dangerous to the business.
“With 97% of the garments and sneakers we put on being imported, and with garments and sneakers already essentially the most extremely tariffed business within the U.S., we have to give attention to widespread sense options that may transfer the needle,” AAPA President Steve Lamar stated in a press release. “Extra tariffs will solely imply increased enter prices for U.S. producers and better costs that can damage decrease revenue customers.”
President Donald Trump makes a fist as he disembarks from Air Power One upon arrival at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, Could 25, 2025, after spending the weekend in New Jersey. (SAUL LOEB/AFP by way of Getty Photos / Getty Photos)
Trump, whose broad tariffs sparked a commerce warfare and upended world markets, on Friday pushed for a 50% tariff on European Union items beginning June 1 and warned Apple that he could implement a 25% tax on all imported iPhones bought by U.S. customers.
However on Sunday, he prolonged a deadline for the levies towards the EU till July 9 to permit for negotiations between his administration and the 27-nation bloc. Trump has repeatedly delayed tariffs towards overseas international locations as his administration seeks to achieve U.S.-friendly offers.
Final month, Trump stated American kids could solely be capable of have “two dolls as a substitute of 30” due to the influence of his tariffs.
TRUMP THREATENS 25% TARIFF ON IPHONES, 50% TARIFF ON EU GOODS AMID TRADE TENSIONS
President Donald Trump walks to talk to journalists earlier than boarding Air Power One from Morristown Municipal Airport in Morristown, New Jersey, Could 25, 2025. (SAUL LOEB/AFP by way of Getty Photos / Getty Photos)
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The U.S. president has vowed to spice up home manufacturing by imposing tariffs on foreign-produced items and heralding investments by corporations and overseas nations into the U.S., even because the American economic system stays depending on provide chains with different international locations the place many items, together with textiles, are produced much less expensively.
Reuters contributed to this report.
