President Donald Trump’s tariff in Canada and Mexico is “an effort to stop bleeding” in the American economy, Auto United Workers President Shawn Fain told “this week” on Sunday to defend controversial steps.
“We are in crisis fashion in this country,” Fain said, suggested that the American trade system was “damaged” and needed a drastic reform. “We are in a triage situation,” he added.
The tariff “is not the final solution,” Fain explained, “But they are a big factor in fixing this problem.”
“Tariff is an attempt to stop bleeding from work bleeding in America for the past 33 years,” Fain said, suggested that the US had lost “millions of work” from the beginning of the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta) in 1994.
“Nafta sucks,” Fain said.
“The United States is a market that all people want to sell and we must have a reciprocal trade law in which people have the same standard of living,” Fain continued.
“Our neighbors in the South – Mexican workers – not enemies. They are exploited and that is because of the greed of the company, and that is what must be stopped,” he said.
This air display shows a new Subaru car in the storage area at Auto Warehouse Co. On March 4, 2025 in Richmond, California.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Trump’s government said last week that they would impose 25% of car-related goods tariffs from Mexico and Canada, then reverse courses, announced a one-month delay for steps after the talks between Trump and Ford’s executive, General Motors and Stellantis. The current tariff will be influenced in April.
Press Secretary of the White House Karoline Leavitt said the President told the company to “start investing, starting to move, shifting production here.”
UAW – which has around 1 million members – has long supported the return of work and manufacturing by US car makers. The organization also praised Trump’s decision to impose tariffs.
“Tariffs are a powerful tool in the tool box to cancel injustice against anti-work trade agreements,” the union said in a statement posted on its website on Tuesday. “We are happy to see an American president taking aggressive action to end the free trade disaster that has come down like a bomb in the working class.”
UAW has said that higher prices for consumers will be a company’s fault than the President.
“There are many talks about this tariff ‘disturbing’ the economy,” UAW said in his statement last week. “But if Corporate America chooses to gouge in the price of American consumers or attack American workers because they do not want to pay a fair part, American companies blame the decision.”
UAW supported Kamala Harris’s Democratic candidate in the 2024 election. Fain previously described Trump as “scoppeng.”
The union approach has softened since Trump was re -elected. Last week, UAW said that in “active negotiations with Trump administration about their plans to end the free trade disaster.”
“We hope to work with the White House to form car tariffs in April to benefit the working class,” added the Trade Union.
In November 5, 2024, photo files, Auto United worker president Shawn Fain spoke at the Election Night Campaign Party at Detroit.
Carlos Osorio/AP, File
Fain has been critical of Trump’s administrative aspects, especially the influence of billionaire Elon Musk.
Speaking at the “Fighting Oligarchy” event in Warren, Michigan, last week, Fain pushed back the Musk attack on social security.
“This is not our grandparents, and that is not a public school teacher,” Fain said. “This is Elon Musk and a billionaire class. And you want to talk about the Ponzi scheme? I will tell you about the Ponzi scheme. The only ponzi scheme that we have seen in the last 40 years is the richer richer person while the working class and everyone is left behind.”
“This week,” Fain said, “The election is over. Donald Trump is the president, and we want to work to fix the wrong problem with this country, with our economy. And the American people expect that. They hope the leaders will stand and lead. They do not expect us to sit.”