Grassley Elaborates on Trade Priorities for 116th Congress

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, reiterated that he will evaluate the president's authority to impose tariffs under Section 232, saying, "I do not believe that we should alienate our allies with tariffs disguised as national security protections." Grassley released a statement Jan. 9 on his priorities for the new Congress. He also said, "I’m not fond of the Section 301 tariffs on products from China, but I agree with the reasons they’ve been applied. I’ll continue to engage with the Administration on the ongoing trade dispute with China in hopes that negotiations will result in a change in China’s discriminatory policies and practices and an easing of tariffs and tensions. The World Trade Organization is also on his to-do list. "I have great interest in reforming and strengthening the WTO, which is a clearinghouse for our rules-based international trading system. I plan to work closely with the administration and our allies to strengthen the ability of the WTO to more effectively meet the demands of our global economy."