Fox Business 2016 GOP primary debate: on Free Trade

Marco Rubio: Tariffs on China won't work; improve our economy instead

TRUMP: That's wrong. The 45% would be the amount they saw their devaluations that we should get. If they don't start treating us fairly and stop devaluing and let their currency rise so that our companies can compete, I would certainly start taxing goods that come in from China.

Q: So you're open to a tariff?

TRUMP: I'm totally open to a tariff. Hey, their whole trade is tariffed. You can't deal in China without tariffs. They do it to us, we don't it. It's not fair trade.

RUBIO: We are all frustrated with what China is doing. I think we need to be very careful with tariffs, and here's why. China doesn't pay the tariff, the buyer pays the tariff: it gets passed on in the price to the consumer. So I think the better approach, the best thing we can do to protect ourselves against China economically is to make our economy stronger. It begins with tax reform. It continues with regulatory reform.