The tariffs are a tool in a diverse economic toolkit that is being used to shore up the middle class, Trade Representative Katherine Tai said Monday during a talk at the Council on Foreign Relations think tank in Washington, D.C.

Asked about the politicization of the issue, as well as some researchers’ claim the tariff regime had a net negative effect on U.S. jobs, Tai said detractors were missing the big picture.

“In many ways, it’s a red herring,” she said. “What is really important to appreciate about tariffs is that they’re a tool. They’re a tool that can be used in constructive ways. They’re a tool, at least for us in trade remedies….They are a playing-field-leveling tool. They are a tool for remedying unfair trade.”

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