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‘We want to make tanks, not T-shirts’: Donald Trump backs tariffs to boost domestic manufacturing
Donald Trump renewed threats of a 50% tariff on EU goods from June 1 and a 25% levy on iPhones but extended the EU deadline to July 9 for talks.
US President Donald Trump on Sunday said his tariff policy is aimed at boosting domestic manufacturing of military equipment like tanks and advanced technology, rather than everyday items such as sneakers and T-shirts.
Speaking to reporters before boarding Air Force One in New Jersey, Trump echoed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s April 29 remarks that the US does not necessarily need a “booming textile industry,” a comment that drew criticism from the National Council of Textile Organizations.
“We're not looking to make sneakers and T-shirts. We want to make military equipment. We want to make big things. We want to make, do the AI thing,” Trump said.
“I’m not looking to make T-shirts, to be honest. I’m not looking to make socks. We can do that very well in other locations. We are looking to do chips and computers and lots of other things, and tanks and ships,” he added.
AAFA warns tariffs will raise costs and prices
The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) warned that tariffs could harm the industry. AAFA President Steve Lamar said, “With 97 per cent of the clothes and shoes we wear being imported, and with clothes and shoes already the most highly tariffed industry in the US, we need to focus on common sense solutions that can move the needle. More tariffs will only mean higher input costs for US manufacturers and higher prices that will hurt lower-income consumers.”
Trump, who has unsettled global markets with broad tariffs, recently renewed threats of a 50 per cent tariff on European Union goods starting June 1 and a possible 25 per cent levy on imported iPhones. However, he extended the EU tariff deadline to July 9 to allow for talks.
Winning the 2016 and 2024 US presidential elections partly by appealing to working-class voters affected by manufacturing job losses, Trump has pushed to revive domestic industry through tariffs and investment incentives despite the US economy’s reliance on global supply chains where production costs are lower.
With Reuters inputs
