Raskin Accuses Trump of Turning Tariff Exemptions Into a 'Tool for Grift'

Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., accused President Donald Trump on Wednesday of using tariffs as a "tool for grift and self-enrichment." In a letter first obtained by CNBC, Raskin pointed to import-tax exemptions that he described as suspicious, granted to industries whose leaders have courted Trump with gifts and donations.

Raskin is the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee and formerly led Democrats on the House oversight committee. He wrote that Trump "cut lots of sweetheart deals" with corporations and industries that won carve-outs "when you saw you could get something good in return." He singled out exemptions for Brazilian meat, diamonds and smartphones, which he said "make little to no sense" under the administration's own criteria. He coined the phrase "Trump Tariff Discount" to describe the alleged practice.

The letter asks for several categories of records from Trump's second term. These include communications between the White House and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative about tariff relief for more than a dozen industries, as well as communications involving private-sector figures such as Apple executive chairman Tim Cook and Rolex CEO Jean-Frederic Dufour. Raskin set a deadline of Nov. 11.

The letter focuses on tariffs imposed in July under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. The administration says the duties, which apply to more than 80 countries and cover nearly all U.S. imports, are meant to combat foreign forced-labor practices. Raskin and other critics, including plaintiffs in a major lawsuit, argue the tariffs are really meant to replace the broad "liberation day" duties that the Supreme Court struck down in February.

On beef, Raskin noted that exemptions took effect despite opposition from U.S. cattle producers, who cited forced labor in the Brazilian cattle sector and a surge in Brazilian beef. He wrote that Trump reportedly met in late August with Brazilian billionaire Joesley Batista, co-owner of JBS, and announced the next day that the U.S. would allow up to 300,000 metric tons of "product for ground beef" to be imported below market prices. JBS's U.S. subsidiary, Pilgrim's Pride, gave $5 million to Trump's 2024 inaugural fund, the largest donation from any single company.

Raskin called the diamond jewelry exemption "laughably indefensible," since the U.S. Labor Department lists diamonds as a good produced with forced or child labor. He suggested a link to the Antwerp World Diamond Centre's June gift to Trump of a gold ring set with 321 natural diamonds and 75 other gemstones. The group said the ring honored the trade relationship between Antwerp and the United States and the nation's 250th birthday. On smartphones, he wrote that Chinese-made devices were exempted even though abusive working conditions are a hallmark of the industry. He cited Cook's reported $1 million inaugural donation in 2025, a gold plaque given to Trump, and Apple's $25 million gift to the White House ballroom project, tied for the largest contribution.

Raskin also pointed to Trump's decision last year to lift forced-labor restrictions on Dominican sugar producer Central Romana despite allegations that abuses continued. Its owner, José Francisco "Pepe" Fanjul, reportedly hosted a $50 million fundraiser for Trump in 2024, and his family corporation gave $1 million to a pro-Trump PAC that year. He is also listed as a donor to the ballroom project.

The letter ties the issue to cost-of-living worries, citing the nonpartisan Tax Foundation's estimate that the latest tariffs will cost the average U.S. household $820 this year. The most recent CNBC All-America Economic Survey found voters are most concerned about government corruption, followed by high grocery and gas prices. The letter may also preview how Democrats could use oversight powers if they win control of the House or Senate in the midterms.

A White House official, speaking anonymously, told CNBC that "the only special interest guiding the Trump administration's decision-making is the best interest of the American people." The USTR did not respond to a request for comment.