U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood is hailing this week's announcement of a trade agreement with the European Union and recent ones with Vietnam, the United Kingdom, Indonesia, and Japan as the Trump administration continues to reshape the global economy.
The administration on Wednesday also took aim at Brazil, announcing 50% tariffs on goods imported from Brazil in advance of negotiations on a potential agreement.
During a stop in Bloomington, LaHood said the agreement with the E.U. gives the U.S. better access to Europe's market of 800 million people.
"I hope that we can continue to have certainty and predictability with our trade agreements," said LaHood.
He said the agreements are good for the ag industry and for manufacturing. Volkswagen and GM, though, have said they are taking billion dollars hits to their businesses from administration's higher tariffs. The Bureau of Labor Statistics said the nation lost 14,000 manufacturing jobs in May and June.
Economists have argued part of that is the uncertainty created by the varied announcement of country-specific tariffs and pullbacks from those announcements, and that the impact of tariffs on employment is uneven by sector, with both winners and losers.
LaHood looked to the long term.
“I think the more we can transition jobs to this country and more automotive jobs the more it will benefit workers in this country. That’s part of what we’re doing here,” he said, noting countries such as China have had predatory trade practices.
“They cheat. They steal. They manipulate the World Trade Organization. They steal our intellectual property. You have to hold them accountable. Unfortunately, the only thing an adversary like China listens to is tariffs,” said LaHood. “I think tariffs can be used to change the trajectory of that relationship.”
Prices for consumers, economists predicted, will go up gradually over 6-18 months as a higher average base of tariff takes effect, moving from 3% to above 16%. LaHood said he disagrees with critics who think a tariff floor will reduce economic growth.
“I’m not of that opinion right now. I think predictability and certainty in the economy, which we did with the One Big Beautiful Bill and we’re now doing with trade agreements, will benefit the economy,” said LaHood.
He said the tariffs also bring money into the federal treasury and argued they have had a positive impact on the economy.
Opponents of tariffs have said that is, in effect, a tax on U.S. consumers who end up paying.
The nation’s gross domestic product, grew at an annual rate of 3% in second quarter, according to a Commerce Department report, higher than many economists had expected. The department noted that came from lower-than-expected imports and higher consumer spending caused by increased prices.
Epstein case
LaHood also called for more transparency from the Trump administration in the case of the late sex trafficker and billionaire Jeffrey Epstein. The Epstein case and stalled release of information from it has drawn bipartisan reaction against the Trump administration.
LaHood, who represents a deep red district, said anybody involved with the case and the "heinous and reprehensible acts" should be held responsible.
"And this was something that candidate Trump talked about and many people around him at the time. I think that needs to be fulfilled," he said, adding, "just releasing grand jury transcripts, which must be approved by a judge, is not the right approach."
"Criminal actions, flight logs, lists of people. Those all ought to be exposed and brought forth to the public with full transparency," said LaHood.
House Speaker Mike Johnson let lawmakers go home a day early for a summer break, Democrats alleged, to avoid a vote on disclosure in the Epstein case. LaHood said that's not the end of the matter.
"When we get back into session I think there will be plenty of appetite from both sides of the aisle to get to full transparency," he said.
LaHood qualified his answer when asked how much of the terabytes of evidence in the Epstein case should be made public. He said victims and people who were subject to exploitation need to be protected.
