'We're Paying The Consequences': Marco Rubio Laments 'Dangerous' Reliance On China, Defends Trump Tariffs

3/28/2025

During a press briefing with Guyannese President Irfaan Ali, Secretary of State Marco Rubio was asked about President Donald Trump's tariff plans for Chinese ships and international trade.

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Transcript

00:00Absolutely.

00:02And I'll feed a question from the back now.

00:04Kirk Campbell, Newsroom.

00:05President Allen, you've already spoken about how President Trump's plans, tariff plans

00:06for Chinese ships could affect regional trade.

00:07I just wanted to know if, in your trade talks today, if that issue was specifically discussed

00:08for Secretary of State Rubin.

00:09Yes.

00:10I can tell you.

00:11Oh, you're asking him.

00:12I'm sorry.

00:13It's for both of you.

00:14What assurances can you give to the United States of America that the U.S. is going to

00:15be able to make the transition to a trade agreement with China?

00:34Yes.

00:35Well, that's...

00:36Look, the goal the President has in doing so is we need to have an ability to build

00:40ships in this world that don't just come from China.

00:42Okay?

00:43It's just dangerous to have one country in the world building all the ships.

00:47I assure you that...

00:48And we don't want a war, but I mean, they're not going to build ships for us if we get

00:51in trouble, right?

00:52So we need to have alternatives to Chinese shipping.

00:54We're trying to create a market and a demand for alternatives to Chinese shipping construction.

00:59And I'm the first one to admit that the United States made a terrible mistake when we deindustrialized

01:03and we allowed all these industries to leave our country and go to other places.

01:07Now we're paying the consequences, but we have to fix it.

01:09So I do believe.

01:10I can't speak.

01:11The trade portfolio does not belong to the Department of State.

01:15But I do believe that we will take this back because we've heard this not just here, Mr.

01:20President.

01:21We've heard it throughout our visits here in the Caribbean.

01:23And we're going to take it back and explain to those who are in charge of trade policy

01:26that there are some implications to applying it to certain nations who are partners and

01:33who are seeking to develop their economies in ways that I think serve the national interest

01:37of the United States, not to mention the national interest of our partner nations, and see what

01:41can happen.

01:42So I can't make a commitment to those exemptions because that's not something we handle at

01:46the Department of State.

01:47What I can commit to is that I will most certainly raise this issue as a recurring issue in multiple

01:51places that it would have a real detrimental effect on economic development.

01:56Maybe in 10 years it won't be an issue because there's been some diversification.

01:59Maybe in five.

02:00But right now it would be problematic.

02:01That message I'll take back to Washington and to my colleagues that are handling the

02:05trade portfolio, and we'll see how the President decides to proceed.

02:11But rest assured we will take that message back.

02:13Just to echo the sentiments that, yes, we did discuss it, and the region would embrace

02:20it also.

02:21But Secretary Rubio, as he said, will take this back and to see whether there can be

02:28any special initiative for the region, given our specific circumstances.

02:34But let me say also that we have a responsibility to our friends.

02:40The U.S. is a great friend of ours.

02:43The U.S. will have made it very clear that they're ready to stand by us in our development,

02:49in our economic expansion, in our security, and in our defense.

02:53And I will say very boldly that such friends must have some different preferential treatment.

02:59Because a friend will defend me when I need it.

'We're Paying The Consequences': Marco Rubio Laments 'Dangerous' Reliance On China, Defends Trump Tariffs

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