The Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick, said on Sunday that Americans should “absolutely not” prepare for a recession, since President Donald Trump plans to implement long -range reciprocal tariffs on foreign countries.
“There will be no recession in the United States. … Global tariffs are going to go down because President Trump has said: ‘Do you want to charge us 100%? We will charge 100%, ”Lutnick told” Meet The Press “from NBC News.
Lutnick argued that Trump plans “unleash the United States to the world” and “grow our economy in a way that we have never grown before.”
“Then, if Donald Trump is bringing growth to the United States, he would never bet on the recession, without any possibility,” added the Secretary of Commerce.
In a separate interview in “Sunday Morning Futures” by Fox News, the presenter Maria Bartiromo asked Trump if he awaits a recession this year.
“I hate to predict things like that,” the president told Bartiromo.
“There is a transition period, because what we are doing is very large. We are bringing wealth to the United States. That is a big thing. And there are always periods that take a little time, it takes a little time,” he added.
Lutnick also promised Americans that the prices of groceries would begin to go down in early April, but warned that there would be increases in prices in foreign goods as a result of the anticipated reciprocal rates of the Trump administration.
“Yes, some products that make foreigners can be more expensive, but American products will become cheaper, and that is the point,” Lutnick told the “Meet The Press” Kristen Welker, talking about the effects of reciprocal tariffs on the foreign goods that Trump has said that he will impose on April 2.
“The president will negotiate country by country. He is going to drive through the barriers from other countries, unleashing our farmers, our farmers and our fishermen. They will explode in value and the prices of American products, growth crops, products and fish will fall, ”Lutnick predicted.
“Donald Trump is behind them, protecting them,” Lutnick added, referring to American farmers. “He has his back and will make them winners. And then all of the United States will be winners, because these prices are going down. And the process begins on April 2 “
In Fox’s interview, Trump described his reasoning for tariffs how to protect Americans from being “scammed.”
“Look, our country has been scammed for many decades, for many, many decades, and we will no longer be scammed in the rates,” he told Bartiromo.
Consumers and main retailers felt a cervical whip last week when Trump issued exemptions to tariffs on Canada and Mexico only two days after they presented them.
But the exceptions to tariffs issued last week expired on April 2, the same date that the president hopes to impose reciprocal tariffs on other nations.
In Fox, Trump told Bartiromo that these rates will take effect on April 2, and that he does not plan to grant more extensions in Canada and Mexico.
“It’s a transition to April, and after that, I’m not doing this. I mean, I told them, I said: ‘Look, I’ll do this once. But after that, I’m not doing it,” said the president.
He also said that the tariff rate in foreign nations could increase over time, telling Bartyrome: “We can climb with some rates. It depends. We can climb. I don’t think we go down, but we can climb.”
Welker also asked Lutnick about tariffs on dairy, wood, steel and aluminum that Trump said he would impose to Canada.
Lutnick said that tariffs on steel and aluminum would still be valid on Wednesday, March 12, and that tariffs on wood and dairy products would also be delayed until April 2, citing Canadian tariffs on US products and the need for tariffs to stop the fentanyl crisis.
“Then, on April 2, we will visit the Fentanyl problems. And we are going to visit the trade again, the general commercial problems of reciprocality, ”said Lutnick.
Previously, Lutnick told Welker that tariffs in Canada and Mexico would end “if the fentanyl ends”, blaming both nations for allowing fentanil to flow over the borders of the north and south of the United States.
“If the fentanil ends, I think this will come off. But if the fentanyl does not end, or [Trump is] Uncertain about it, they will remain like this until you feel comfortable, ”said Lutnick.
The prices of groceries in particular could be negatively affected by Trump’s rates plans. In 2021, the percentage of fresh fruit in the US.
Lutnick also talked about the tensions that may have emerged last week between Trump’s cabinet members and Trump Elon Musk advisor.
On Thursday, Trump summoned his cabinet to tell members that personnel decisions in their respective departments and agencies depend on them, No Musk and their government efficiency department, which had previously fired thousands of federal workers throughout the United States government.
Lutnick said Sunday that Trump has made it clear that he is in charge and that Musk is a “partner” for each cabinet secretary.
“President Trump made it clear that Elon is his partner, and that is what we like,” said the secretary of Commerce. “You have the best businessman and the best technologist in the world as my partner.”
“There is no one watching this television at this time that, if Elon Musk said he was going home and helping them, I would not be happy,” Lutnick added. “You have the best technologist and the richest guy in the world saying: ‘I will help you.’ Come on. We want your help.”
