Trump Threatens Up to 300% Tariffs If Foreign Plants Aren't Built in US

U.S. President Donald Trump, who suffered a crushing defeat in the midterm elections, has signaled his intent to stick to his existing tariff policy, mentioning tariffs of up to 300%.

Meeting with reporters at the White House on the 5th (local time), President Trump argued that without tariffs, foreign companies would not build factories in the United States.

He emphasized that some 3,000 factories and production facilities are currently being built across the U.S., and that eliminating tariffs would bring all factory construction to a halt.

He stated that the reason foreign companies build plants in the U.S. is because otherwise, they would face tariffs of up to 300%.

On the other hand, he claimed that if companies build and operate plants in the U.S., they would not have to pay tariffs, and prices would drop significantly.

He criticized those calling for the abolition of tariffs as "foolish people."

When asked about his plans for governance during the remainder of his term, President Trump said, "We're going to do a lot of things," adding, "You'll see a lot of things over the next week or two."

Regarding the issue with Iran, he warned that a decision must be made between a deal and additional strikes, and that it may be necessary to destroy Iran's remaining facilities.

This is interpreted as a sign that, even with his political standing weakened by the midterm election defeat, President Trump intends to maintain his hardline stance on trade, diplomacy, and security.

Reported by Choi Jae-yeong | Video by IYOO | Graphics by Yang Hye-min | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.