INDIANAPOLIS – As President Trump continues to roll out increasingly escalating tariffs on China and U.S. trading partners, Rep. Braun has yet to comment on what he believes the impact will be for both Hoosiers or his business, which relies on selling Chinese auto parts.

President Trump announced yesterday that his administration would be imposing steel and aluminum tariffs on key U.S. trading partners, including Canada, Mexico and the EU. Those countries had been exempt from the previously mooted tariffs on China the President announced in March, but will now be subject to a 25% tariff on steel imports and 10% tariff on aluminum imports. Yesterday’s decision followed the White House’s announcement on Tuesday to impose a 25% tariff on $50 billion worth of Chinese goods.

Rep. Braun has yet to weigh in on the President’s decision, but he has particular reason to be concerned – and not just because of the effects the tariffs may have on the Hoosiers he hopes to represent. As the Associated Press reported, Rep. Braun’s business has repeatedly imported shipments of Chinese auto parts, and his business’ website advertises suppliers based in Canada, Mexico, and other foreign countries. The latest tariff announcements may have a significant impact on his costs and bottom line.

“Is Rep. Braun concerned at all about the latest tariffs’ impact on the Hoosiers he hopes to represent, or his company, or the profits he used to fund his primary campaign? Or does he simply think the President should plow straight ahead with tariffs on Canada, the EU, and our biggest trading partners?,” said Michael Feldman, spokesman for the Indiana Democratic Party. “The Hoosiers who are most likely to face the harshest consequences of escalating trade tensions deserve answers from Rep. Braun about the president’s tariffs, not more silence.”

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