China, in his words · 2016 campaign · № 24
Said China is 'ripping us on trade' and 'killing our companies'
“China is ripping us on trade. They're devaluing their currency and they're killing our companies.”
- Said
- , Republican presidential debate, North Charleston, South Carolina (Fox Business Network)
- Subject
- trade deficit with China
- Threat
- Economic threat
- Topic
- Trade & tariffs
- Era
- 2016 campaign
What the record showed
In the same exchange he said the U.S. would run a trade deficit of $505 billion with China; Census Bureau data put the 2015 goods deficit with China at $367.3 billion. The goods deficit reached $418.2 billion in 2018, the largest in the Census series. FactCheck.org's review of his first term found the goods-and-services deficit with China was $282 billion in 2020, 9 percent lower than in 2016, while the total U.S. trade deficit rose 36.3 percent over the same period to almost $654 billion, the highest since 2008.