Trump's trade adviser defends tariffs, touts Texas Instrument investment in new Lehi plant

SALT LAKE CITY — President Donald Trump's cabinet adviser on trade toured the new semiconductor plant being built by Texas Instruments in Lehi last week and defended the administration's approach to tariffs as consumer goods rose again last month.

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the administration is working to bring more manufacturing to the U.S. and shore up critical supply lines for things like semiconductors. He said unfair trade practices from China and other countries have overwhelmed American manufacturing, thanks in part to cheap labor and government subsidies.

"We've put tariffs on goods from overseas, so that they can't outcompete our guys," he told KSL Friday. "They get subsidies overseas. It's unfair trade. We want to have free enterprise but we can't do it (if) we're getting unfair subsidies and dumping from overseas. So, we're leveling the playing field so that companies like TI can get a return on their investment in a place like Lehi."

Consumer prices rose by about 3.7% annually last month, a higher-than-expected increase that was driven in part by a 9.1% increase in gas prices. Greer pushed back on the idea that the latest bout of inflation was driven by Trump's tariffs.

"When you look at what's in your grocery store basket — we don't have tariffs on beef. We don't have tariffs on oranges. We don't have tariffs on bananas," he said. "Most of the food you eat, it's made right here in America."

Trump initially imposed broad tariffs on imported goods, but exempted beef, coffee, tropical fruits and other commodities last November. Greer said the administration aims to tariff goods that can be produced in the U.S. to help American companies compete, while keeping duties low on goods that must be imported.

Still, a recent report from the New York Federal Reserve found that consumers saw a 2.9% increase in cost on 67 types of goods as of February due to tariffs that were imposed beginning last year. Without the tariffs, the study found the price of those goods would have decreased by nearly 1%.

Greer said that if tariffs are to blame for some increases, that price effect would only be a "one-time" bump when the tariffs are first introduced, as companies raise prices to offset the import costs. He said the administration is hoping to boost high-paying jobs in the long term, even if it brings some short-term pain.

"We know that there are cost of living concerns," he said. "What I'm here to say is, tariffs are protecting jobs."

"Our solution (to cost of living concerns) is give people better jobs, better wages," he added. "And manufacturing is where you have those better wages on average. ... It pays more than your average services job for your average American. That's why a facility like this is so important because it will help people. Whatever happens to prices, they'll be able to weather it because they're getting a job at an advanced manufacturing facility."

Texas Instruments broke ground on its new $11 billion, 300-mm semiconductor wafer fabrication plant in Lehi in 2023. The plant is expected to create 800 new high-paying jobs, but the company said it is not yet ready to provide salary ranges while the plant is still being built.

Together with the existing plant in Lehi, Texas Instruments will produce millions of chips each day that will help power everything from phones and computers to cars and appliances. Greer said the new plant will help strengthen the domestic supply chain for the critical components.

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