President Trump did not include Russia on his target list for reciprocal tariffs because there is little trade with Russia, and the U.S. already hit Moscow with big sanctions and levies over its invasion of Ukraine, a top trade official said Wednesday.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told lawmakers there is “no effort to reinvigorate trade with Russia,” pushing back on Democrats who suspected Mr. Trump was cozying up to Russian President Vladimir Putin amid negotiations to reignite economic relations or end the war in Ukraine.
President Biden signed bills and issued decrees in 2022 that sanctioned Russia and Belarus and increased tariffs on things such as steel and aluminum, minerals and chemicals.
“They already have these high tariffs, they don’t have permanent normal trade relations,” Mr. Greer told the House Ways and Means Committee.
There is some trade between Russia and the U.S., totaling $3.5 billion, mainly because Russia still sends fertilizer and platinum to the U.S. under exemptions in the law.
Mr. Greer testified on Capitol Hill as lawmakers, businesses and investors try to digest Mr. Trump’s decision to issue a 10% tariff on all imports and heftier levies on countries with far more exports to the U.S. than imports from American producers.
Wall Street is nervous about the plan and business leaders are warning about a recession, yet the White House said around 70 countries have reached out to negotiate down their trade barriers.
“There are a lot of countries that understand exactly what the problem is that the president has set out and are willing to talk to us and are willing to negotiate,” Mr. Greer told lawmakers.
China is a notable exception. It increased levies on U.S. goods from 34% to 84% on Wednesday in response to Mr. Trump’s decision to slap a 104% tariff on Chinese goods.
Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith praised the administration for trying to correct a system in which, too often, American jobs are shipped off to places like Mexico.
“Changing course and undoing the damage caused by years of unbalanced trade relationships won’t happen overnight,” Mr. Smith, Missouri Republican, said. “President Trump’s economic agenda, from tariffs to tax relief to deregulation, is about making it competitive again to build, manufacture, grow and produce in America.”
Democrats countered by saying the Biden administration handed Mr. Trump a relatively strong economy, only for the current president to squander it.
“It’s only taken him 79 days to inflict this permanent damage,” Rep. Richard Neal, Massachusetts Democrat, said. “Recession odds are getting higher by the day.”
