At his first major address to world business leaders since reassuming office, President Trump asked them to produce in the United States or risk facing tariffs.
Beginning on February 1, Trump has threatened to impose significant tariffs on significant trading partners Canada, Mexico, and China since taking office on Monday.
He has also signed a flurry of executive orders, pulling the United States out of the Paris Climate Accords and the World Health Organisation.
“Come make your product in America and we will give you among the lowest taxes of any nation on earth,” Trump said on Thursday, speaking remotely to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
“But if you don’t make your product in America, which is your prerogative, then very simply you will have to pay a tariff,” he added.
Russia-Ukraine
In his speech, he expressed his conviction that a decrease in oil prices could lead to an immediate resolution of the conflict in Ukraine.
“I’m also going to ask Saudi Arabia and OPEC to bring down the cost of oil,” referring to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries.
“If the price came down, the Russia-Ukraine war would end immediately,” he said.
“Right now, the price is high enough that that war will continue,” he added.
China rivalry
Trump said he expected to have a “a very good relationship” with China, but stressed that “all we want is fairness.”
During his first administration, Trump engaged in an escalating tariffs war with Beijing, and he has threatened higher duties on the campaign trail as well.
In wide-ranging remarks, Trump also signalled he would exert pressure to bring interest rates lower.
“I’ll demand that interest rates drop immediately,” he said. “Likewise, they should be dropping all over the world. Interest rates should follow us all over.”
Gender trends
He also spoke on the issue of gender surgery, saying he has made it “official policy of the United States, that there are only two genders, male and female”.
He took aim at “men participating in women’s sports” while adding that gender operations “will occur very rarely”.
US trade
Since taking office, Trump has vowed an immediate overhaul of the US trade system, promising to tariff and tax foreign countries to the benefit of US citizens.
In an executive order, he has instructed government agencies to conduct comprehensive reviews of trade-related matters.
This includes trade imbalances and unfair trade practices. This directive lays the groundwork for potential future actions, including the imposition of additional tariffs.
AFP
