Bessent: China Escalation ‘Big Mistake,’ Playing a ‘Losing Hand’

Breitbart ^ | 04/08/2025 | Pam Key

[ChicagoConservative27]

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Tuesday on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” that China’s escalation of tariffs is a “big mistake” because it is playing a “losing hand.”

Bessent said, “If we put up a tariff wall, the ultimate goal would be to bring jobs back to the U.S. But in the meantime, we will be collecting substantial tariffs. If we’re successful, tariffs would be a melting ice cube, in a way, because you’re taking in the revenues as the manufacturing facilities are built in the U.S., and there should be some level of symmetry between the taxes we begin taking in with the new industry from the payroll taxes as the tariffs decline.”

He continued, “I think you are going to see some very large countries with large trade deficits come forward very quickly. If they come to the table with solid proposals, I think we can end up with some good deals.”

[ChicagoConservative27]

Bessent is a sharp guy

[Responsibility2nd]

Hmm. I saw signs yesterday Bessent opposes Trump’s tariff policies. I didn’t quite believe it .

I do now.

[rlmorel]

Yes he is. I really like him. He is sober and straightforward. I can’t stand these financial people who think they are rock stars.

[The Duke]

"Bessent is a sharp guy"

I agree. He reflects very well on Trump, and should/will be an excellent Treasury Secretary.

[Liz]

None of the lefty journos criticized the Bidens for influence
peddling in China but Trump gets lacerated for a lousy tariff.

NY Post ace journo Miranda Devine @mirandadevine reports on the 2013 Beijing visit by Hunter and the obsequious Joe Biden with President Xi. VP son Hunter was given ten percent-—a billion dollar stake—— in the Chinese state’s investment partnership BHR.”

This is excerpted from Devine’s must-read first book on the Biden Crime Family of grifters,
“Laptop From Hell”............ an expose of whoring Hunter’s drug-fueled dissolute lifestyle.

Note well: This photograph was taken in 2013. It took court action to get the National Archives to release it. The photo predates the period granted by Hunter’s pardon. Means you can go after Hunter hammer and tongs for offenses committed before 2014.

[CountryClassSF]

Bessent is absolutely right. We run billions in a trade deficit with China. Any escalation in tariffs means they take the bigger hit.

[isthisnickcool]

I don’t get that Bessent opposes Trump’s tariff policies at all.

https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0073

[Carry_Okie]

Pretty ballsy in a world of biohazards when most of our medical disposables and drug precursors come from China.

[fortes fortuna juvat]

Hmm. I saw signs yesterday Bessent opposes Trump’s tariff policies. I didn’t quite believe it .

I do now.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Huh? I must have missed something!

[ARW]

Tariffs are a tax. China may take a bigger hit but who in the US is gettung hit?

[norcal joe]

What? He’s not opposing Trump’s tariff policies. He said China is making a mistake. Not the US.

[Vendome]

[Trump Girl Kit Cat]

Guy is wicked smart AND as calm as can be as he decimates these idiot journalists who THINK they are smarter than he is!!! This was a GREAT PICK!!!

[Steely Tom]

If we start ramping up industrial manufacturing, China will ramp up its funding of our environmental movement, and other American anti-industrial organizations.

[OpusatFR]

China has been funding 3rd and 4th gen warfare in the US. The drugs are just one of the battlefields. Espionage, the subverting of academia, and the infiltration into our government is another.

.

[God luvs America]

I saw Steven Miller talking about this on Fox- utterly annihilated the chiComs....wow- he did a job on them!!!

So glad this guy is on our side!!

[Jonty30]

I think Trump knows things about China that we don’t, such as it’s population crisis. They have less people than Chiba wants to admit, which means paying more for their debt per capital.

Trump is just adding stress to a precarious China.

[monkeyshine]

The China tariffs are really going to hurt our business. I am trying to find an angle though, maybe I can outflank our competitors As an American I’m ok with the China tariffs. So many “US” manufacturers have outsourced production to China and the greedy jerks didn’t even pass the savings on to us. Well one company did or does, they are a good company but they distribute other people’s goods however they don’t mark them up ridiculously they have some kind of average cost system and we’ve shifted as much purchasing to them as we can. I am very unhappy about so many suppliers outsourcing to China. I know of a US company bought a local producer of goods so perhaps I can buy from them for many of our goods. I know them though, they are the highest price and worst delivery and nothing we need is ever in stock which is why we don’t buy much from them. What we buy is not extremely common so I understand, we don’t make cheap crap. We make premium products with premium ingredients. But this will sting. My donations to FR have taken a plunge and may never recover. I have to convince the wife to drop one of her silly subscription channels. But she doesn’t read or post here. Maybe I should set up an account for her. Sorry I’m rambling. And scrambling.

Times like these are opportunities though. I just need to find the angles.

[Sarah Barracuda]

Bessent is a great asset that is why Trump is putting him in charge of talking to these different countries to make deals

[TexasFreeper2009]

There isn’t a single product ever created that I actually “need” from China.

China will lose.