WASHINGTON – Missouri U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley is applauding U.S. President Donald Trump’s sweeping plan for new tariffs, calling it a win for American workers and urging continued protection for farmers and manufacturers.

On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a new trade policy that imposes tariffs on many of the nation’s top trading partners.

Trump announced elevated tariffs on dozens of countries that maintain significant trade surpluses with the United States, along with a 10% baseline tax on imports from all countries. The move comes in response to what Trump has called an economic emergency, according to the Associated Press.

Among those steeper levies are a 34% tax on imports from China and a 20% tax on goods from the European Union.

While Trump has framed tariffs as both a revenue tool and a bargaining chip to reshape global trade, according to AP, mixed messages from both Trump and his advisers have created uncertainty about the administration’s ultimate goals behind the new tariffs.

Meanwhile, Hawley feels the changes are long overdue, touting the tariffs as a boost for both Missouri and the St. Louis region.

“I’ll just tell you this: auto workers right there in the St. Louis region are cheering Trump’s tariffs because we have been losing auto jobs to Mexico for years,” Hawley told FOX 2 in a virtual one-on-one interview on Wednesday. “We have been losing wages and losing ground when it comes to our wages for years to other countries, so when it comes to folks who are now being protected, they finally have their government standing up for them after years of selling them out. You’ve got a lot of people who are very happy.”

He continued, “What I want to see is more jobs in the state of Missouri. I want to see higher wages in the state of Missouri and I want to see the industry that we have in the state be protected, so I hope the president will continue to fight for a fair deal on trade. Of course we want to trade, but it’s got to be a fair deal for our manufacturers, for our farmers, for our producers and that’s what the president’s fighting for.”

Hawley also addressed potential impacts on the tariffs for Missouri farmers and noted that he trusts Trump to step in if other countries impose countermeasures.

“The president has said that he will absolutely compensate farmers if our farmers get targeted by, say, China or other competitors who try to take out retaliation on our farmers,” said Hawley. “The president’s been clear he will protect our farmers. He’s going to have their back and I’m glad he said that because what happens a lot of times is these other countries come after our farmers, and then they try to impose steep penalties on our farmers. And the Trump administration has been clear: They’re going to protect American farmers, and that begins with Missouri farmers, and I intend to hold the president to his word on that.”

FOX 2 also attempted to set up a virtual one-on-one interview with Missouri’s other U.S. Senator, Eric Schmitt, for his reaction to the new tariffs, though two planned media availabilities this week were cancelled.