White House trade adviser: Tariffs are to protect economic and national security

The Trump administration’s decision to place steep tariffs on steel and aluminum imports is for both national and economic security, according to White House trade adviser Peter Navarro.

“This is an action basically to protect our national security and economic security,” Navarro told CNN’s “State of the Union.” 

{mosads}The remark comes after President Trump last week announced that the United States would place a 25 percent tariff on steel imports and a 10 percent tariff on aluminum, a move that rattled both Washington, D.C., and the global market.

Navarro, the director of the Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy, during the interview argued that China is the source of the problem despite its low place on the list of exporters. The White House adviser said China has “tremendous overcapacity” that allows it to flood the market, which “ripples down.” 

The tariffs are intended to support American-made products.

“We can’t have a country that can defend itself and prosper without an aluminum and steel industry,” Navarro said.