United States Senator Rick Scott from Florida expressed his support for President Trump's tariff strategy in a recent press statement. He also introduced legislation aimed at preventing adversaries, such as China, from evading tariffs.
"President Trump is right to use tariffs as a strategic tool to protect American jobs and our best interests, and to hold our adversaries accountable when they're taking advantage of the United States," said Scott, United States Senator from Florida (R). "This is especially true for Communist China, one of our nation's biggest adversaries, that will do anything on the quest for global domination and that clearly includes lying, exploiting our laws, evading tariffs and taking full advantage of the former administration's weaknesses. My bill, the Stopping Adversarial Tariff Evasion Act will ensure Communist China and all of our adversaries will be held fully accountable and paying the full price of our tariffs."
Senator Scott's statement comes amid renewed debate over U.S.-China trade policy as President Trump promises stronger trade enforcement. Tariffs on Chinese goods were a hallmark of the Trump administration, aiming to counter what it viewed as unfair trade practices and intellectual property theft by China. According to Reuters, the renewed policy push reflects persistent bipartisan concerns over China’s global economic influence.
The United States has imposed tariffs on roughly $300 billion worth of Chinese goods since 2018, with many of those tariffs still in place despite ongoing trade negotiations. The U.S. International Trade Commission reports that these tariffs have reduced imports of affected goods by billions of dollars annually, though some American businesses report higher costs as a result. The effectiveness of tariffs in changing China’s trade behavior remains a contested issue among economists, according to the Peterson Institute for International Economics.
China has increasingly leveraged its trade relationship with Chile to circumvent U.S. tariffs by relocating manufacturing operations, such as assembly and packaging, to Chile. This strategy allows Chinese-made products to enter U.S. markets under the guise of Latin American origin, thereby reducing China's exposure to direct tariffs. Business Daily reports that this tactic not only challenges U.S. strategic interests but also creates competition in industries like seafood, where Chinese-backed Chilean exports benefit from lower environmental and labor compliance costs. The deepening economic integration between China and Chile has seen trade reach a record $518 billion in 2024.
Customs fraud and tariff evasion have become rising concerns for U.S. trade authorities, with schemes such as transshipment through third countries to avoid tariffs. A 2021 report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that U.S. Customs and Border Protection had insufficient data to fully detect or prevent these evasion tactics, leaving billions in potential duties uncollected. The GAO called for stronger enforcement tools and better tracking of import data to close loopholes.
Scott has represented Florida in the U.S. Senate since 2019 after serving two terms as Florida’s governor. During his Senate tenure, he has prioritized economic policy, trade enforcement, and national security issues while serving on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
