WASHINGTON - Donald Trump's top aides on Sunday downplayed the idea of US companies being forced to abandon China any time soon, as an edict from the president ordering businesses to start looking for alternatives has been met with skepticism.
The law grants the president powers to regulate international trade in the face of an "unusual and extraordinary threat" from abroad to US foreign policy, national security or the economy."I think what he was saying is that he is ordering companies to start looking," he added. "Our great American companies are hereby ordered to immediately start looking for an alternative to China, including bringing your companies HOME and making your products in the USA," he said on Twitter -- sending Wall Street tumbling.
"It's impossible for businesses to plan for the future in this type of environment," said senior vice president of government relations David French.