WASHINGTON — Sen. John Curtis, R-Utah, is making his stance on global tariffs clear: Hold the line on China but have grace for our allies.
As President Donald Trump ups the ante in an escalating trade war with China, Curtis is lauding the tariffs as “not only expected; they are warranted,” as he told the Deseret News. Curtis’ comments come as both the U.S. and China have increased tariffs more than 100% this week, raising concerns about a global recession.
“China is not a good-faith trade partner, and Americans are well aware of its nefarious practices that go against international trade agreements and Western values,” Curtis told the Deseret News in a statement. “Their use of Uyghur forced labor, theft of U.S. intellectual property, and the vulnerabilities our reliance on China poses to our national security should not be tolerated.”
However, Curtis urged that tariffs on other countries, particularly those with close relations to the United States, to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
“The case for tariffs on other countries should be evaluated based on our shared interests and the merits of their trade policies,” he said. “American small businesses need predictable and fair trade policies.”
The line in the sand comes as Curtis has carefully approached Trump’s strategy on tariffs, along with several other Republican lawmakers who have been cautiously watching the president.
Shortly after Trump announced global tariffs earlier this month, Curtis was hesitant about the idea of issuing blanket taxes on more than 100 global trade partners, warning about the potential for inflation.
But the Utah senator wants to stay strong on China, urging an “overall thoughtful approach to trade that strengthens our economy, protects small businesses, helps families, and safeguards our national security.”
Curtis’s stance resembles that of his predecessor, former Sen. Mitt Romney, who has long sought to crack down on China’s trade policy. The former senator pushed to formally label China as a “currency manipulator” during his 2012 presidential run and remained hawkish on U.S.-China relations during his time in the Senate.
It’s not yet clear how the tensions between the two countries will play out after China responded to Trump’s tariffs by raising its own tariffs to 125% on Friday. That retaliation came after Trump issued higher tariffs on Thursday, confirming that taxes on Chinese goods would be up to 145% — which Chinese officials called a “joke.”
Meanwhile, Trump has issued a 90-day “pause” on other reciprocal tariffs, instead ordering a 10% “substantially lowered Reciprocal Tariff” in its place. The change comes as Trump says more than 75 countries have requested negotiations to adjust trade relations after he imposed a baseline 10% tariff on all imports last week.
“A deal’s gonna be made with all of them,” Trump said.