US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Thursday said Washington would refrain from imposing tariffs on natural resources the country does not hold in abundance amid tough questioning by House lawmakers about American consumers facing rising prices.
“In our trade deals, our expectation is … we will not have tariffs on unavailable natural resources, but we will have market access for our farmers and our ranchers,” said Lutnick in testimony at a budget hearing of the House Appropriations Committee.
Pressed by both US congresswoman Grace Meng of New York about the rising cost of “anything from basmati rice to the burdock root to different sauces” used by Asian-Americans and US congresswoman Madeleine Dean of Pennsylvania about the higher price of bananas, Lutnick named bananas, spices and roots as examples of items that would be exempt from duties as trade negotiations continue.
“Our chicken and pork and beef are treated horribly around the world, horribly,” the commerce secretary added. “That has to end.”
“And if we use that by saying, ‘you can export coffee to us, but you need to treat us better’ … I think that is fair trade,” he said.
The US is in the midst of negotiations with dozens of countries ahead of a July 8 deadline when President Donald Trump’s 90-day pause on his proposed “Liberation Day” tariffs is set to expire.
