Economics

Trump Says Trade Wars ‘Aren't So Bad’

Economic adviser Cohn loses tariff battle and says he’ll quit
EU vows counter-strike on politically sensitive U.S. products

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin says the U.S. does not want a trade war.(Source: Bloomberg)

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By Saleha Mohsin, Jennifer Jacobs, and Anna Edgerton

March 6, 2018 at 4:05 PM UTC

Updated on

March 6, 2018 at 11:21 PM UTC

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President Donald Trump reiterated his commitment to slapping tariffs on steel and aluminum, dismissing concerns about a global trade war and saying the U.S. has suffered from poor trading conditions with other nations, including those in the European Union.

Just hours later, White House economic adviser Gary Cohn, who had tried in vain to head off the tariffs, announced his resignation. The president’s fresh praise of the tariffs on Tuesday amounted to a public rebuff of Cohn, the director of the National Economic Council.