On the eve of the latest round of U.S.-China trade talks, President Donald Trump falsely claimed that the U.S. collects “over $100 Billion a year in Tariffs.” The U.S. collected $41 billion in fiscal year 2018, and has collected $34.7 billion through the first six months of this fiscal year.
Issues: tariffs
Trump Wrong on China Trade, Again
President Trump falsely claimed that the U.S. has “never taken in 10 cents from China” in tariffs, but “now we’re taking in billions and billions of dollars.” The U.S. has collected billions in customs duties on Chinese imports for years, although the amount has increased since the trade war with China began.
Old and New Claims in Trump’s CPAC Address
Does China Pay Tariffs?
FactChecking Trump on Trade
Trump’s Claim of Chinese Election Interference
Video: Trump’s False Trade Claims
Solar Hyperbole?
Three weeks after the Trump administration imposed a 30 percent tariff on imported solar energy cells and panels, the president claimed that “a lot of places are opening up” to “make solar panels again.” Two weeks later, he said that “we’re opening up at least five plants,” and by mid-April, the number had grown to “seven or eight.”