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Fact-Checkers Challenge Trump's False Trade and Tariff Claims in Speech

President Trump’s April 2 Rose Garden speech announcing global tariffs prompted widespread corrections of his misstatements on trade with Canada, China, and economic history.

President Donald Trump delivers remarks on reciprocal tariffs during an event in the Rose Garden entitled "Make America Wealthy Again" at the White House in Washington, DC, on Wednesday.
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Overview

  • Trump falsely claimed Canadian dairy tariffs exceed 200% after the first product, omitting that USMCA guarantees tens of thousands of metric tons of U.S. dairy exports tariff-free annually.
  • The U.S. has not met its tariff-free dairy export quota to Canada, meaning the high tariffs Trump referenced are not being applied.
  • Trump inaccurately stated the U.S. trade deficit with Canada is close to $200 billion annually, while official 2024 data shows it is $35.7 billion for goods and services combined.
  • Trump repeated the false claim that tariffs on China generated 'hundreds of billions' for the U.S., despite evidence that American importers and consumers bore most of the costs.
  • Historical and current data contradict Trump’s assertion that inflation under Biden was the highest in U.S. history and that there was 'virtually no inflation' during his first presidency.