Andrew Yang on Free Trade Democratic Presidential Challenger & Tech CEO

Tariffs pummel our farmers; but we need a deal with China

YANG: I would not repeal the tariffs on day one, but I would let the Chinese know that we need to hammer out a deal, because right now, the tariffs are pummeling producers and farmers in Iowa who have absolutely nothing to do with the imbalances that we have with China.

A CEO friend of mine was in China recently and he said that he saw pirated U.S. intellectual property on worker workstations to the tune of thousands of dollars per head. And he said, one, "How can my workers compete against that?" And, two, "Think about all the lost revenue to American companies."

So, the imbalances are real. But we have to let the Chinese know that we recognize that President Trump has pursued an arbitrary and haphazard trade policy that has had victims on both sides. So, no to repealing the tariffs immediately, but yes to making sure we come to a deal that addresses the concerns of American companies.

Would not stand in way of fossil fuel exports from US

YANG: I think we have to stop subsidizing the industry, but I don't think that includes banning exports. Because if our fossil fuel industry, which is going to be around for some period of time, is competitive and cost competitive enough to export to another country, I wouldn't stand in the way of that.

Create a path forward on China that works for both sides

YANG: Tariffs and the trade war are the wrong way to go. We need to curb some of the abuses on the Chinese side. But the trade war is leading the global economy in the wrong direction. What we have to do is we have to create a path forward for the Chinese that allows them to save face and say look we need to curb your theft of intellectual property rights and here's what we can do in return. We have to create a path forward that'll work for both sides.

Partner to help African nations & expand markets

We need to crack down, but tariffs & trade wars are wrong

The beneficiaries have not been American workers or people in China. It's been Southeast Asia and other producers that have then stepped into the void. We need to crack down on Chinese malfeasance in the trade relationship, but the tariffs and the trade war are the wrong way to go.