The Treasury Secretary said on Tuesday that the Trump administration would consider a wide range of practices in determining reciprocal tariff rates, including currency manipulation, subsidies, and labor policies in order to pressure countries to abandon the policies. 

The comments from Secretary Bessent on Fox Business Network’s “Mornings with Maria” provide more clarity on the reciprocal tariffs President Donald Trump plans to implement beginning April 2, in addition to duties already levied against goods from China, Mexico and Canada since taking office earlier this year.

“We are going to go to them and say, ‘Look, here is where we think the tariff levels are, nontariff barriers, currency manipulation, unfair funding, labor suppression, and if you will stop this, we will not put up the tariff wall,’” Bessent told host Maria Bartiromo. 

The tariffs, Bessent explained, are designed to pressure countries to change these problematic policies that the administration believes undermines American workers and global competitiveness.  

If a country doesn’t change these policies, Bessent said, “then we will put up the tariff wall to protect our economy, protect our workers and protect our industries.”