Brit Hume appeared on Fox News Monday and said that the U.S. holds a crucial advantage in its escalating trade standoff with China.
China accused the U.S. of tariff abuse and warned it will retaliate against any country that makes trade deals with Washington, D.C. at Beijing’s expense. During an appearance on “Special Report with Bret Baier,” Hume said many countries will ultimately side with Washington, D.C. because those nations rely more on the American market.
“Remember this, Bret, that’s in our favor, and that is that our economy — despite the size of China — our economy is larger. And if you’re going to do business, and you have to choose between the two, for a lot of countries it would make sense to choose the United States. I think that is what the Trump administration is counting on,” Hume said, referring to the U.S. economy’s size and global influence. “But in the meantime, who knows what the economic effects of this will be, but Trump keeps suggesting we’re going to have a period of adjustment, and I don’t think he means a period where everything is going to be going just fine.”
China is actively seeking new trade deals with countries like Vietnam, Malaysia, and European partners. This, as the U.S. ramps up tariffs under President Donald Trump’s strategy to economically isolate Beijing. The Heritage Foundation’s Stephen Yates said Trump’s move marks the first serious push to renegotiate trade on terms that prioritize U.S. interests.
Hume pointed to U.S. partnerships with nations like Japan and India as potential stabilizers in the markets.
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“With countries like Japan and India, which are of some size and importance, I think, might calm the markets. The concern, of course, is you’ve got China reaching out to trading partners, many of them the same as ours, and saying ‘Don’t you be making any deals that are against our interests with the United States,’” Hume said. “The United States, in the meantime, of course, is saying ‘No, you want to work with us. We’re the big enchilada here, and you can’t afford to be without us.’ Now, there are a lot of people who think that the U.S. can win that kind of competition with China, but it is another element of uncertainty in the economic outlook.”
Hume cited China’s suspension of Boeing aircraft orders as a concrete example of the economic fallout.
“Today, for example, Bret, China has cut Boeing off. Boeing had outstanding orders for airplanes to be manufactured and shipped to China,” Hume said. “Those things, at least for the moment, are stopped in their tracks. There’s a cost to that. If that stands, that will hurt jobs and growth in the United States. So these are the kinds of situations that people worry about when they see a trade war underway.”
China began sending Boeing aircraft back to the U.S. after ordering airlines to halt further deliveries in response to new U.S. tariffs. At least three 737 MAX jets, including one intended for Xiamen Airlines, were recalled from China and landed at Boeing’s Seattle facility.
(Featured Image Media Credit: Screenshot/Fox News)
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