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U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said Sunday that potential one-time payments of $2,000 from tariff revenues would not fuel inflation and could provide welcome relief to families.
“This is real money that’s coming in, and we get to decide what to do with it,” Greer told “Fox & Friends Weekend.”
“The $2,000, that’s one option,” Greer said, adding that President Donald Trump is “eager to discuss and explore more” proposals.
TRUMP CALLS TARIFF OPPONENTS ‘FOOLS,’ PROMISES $2K DIVIDEND PAYMENTS FOR AMERICANS
Total duty revenue reached $215.2 billion in fiscal year 2025. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Greer dismissed concerns that the move would stoke rising prices, noting that “this is not some kind of ongoing new welfare program or something that would exacerbate inflation.” He added that he expects American families to welcome the checks. “But I don’t think it would change the overall macroeconomic picture,” Greer said.
Trump vowed earlier this month that revenue generated from duties could fund a $2,000 dividend for low- and middle-income Americans.
TRUMP SAYS TARIFF-FUNDED DIVIDEND PAYMENTS FOR AMERICANS WILL BEGIN NEXT YEAR
President Donald Trump has previously said that tariffs are an important part of his national security agenda. (Francis Chung/Politico/Bloomberg/Getty Images)
The president first floated the idea on Nov. 9 and has since suggested that any remaining funds could be used to help pay down the nation’s soaring $38 trillion debt. Last week, Trump said Americans could see payment checks as soon as next year.
“We’ve taken in hundreds of millions of dollars in tariff money. We’re going to be issuing dividends probably by the middle of next year, maybe a little bit later than that,” Trump told reporters at the White House.
TRUMP SAYS TARIFF REVENUE TO FUND $2K CHECKS FOR AMERICANS, LOWER NATION’S $38T DEBT
Since Trump announced his “Liberation Day” tariffs in April, tariff revenues have climbed sharply from $23.9 billion in May to $28 billion in June and $29 billion in July.
Total duty revenue reached $215.2 billion in fiscal year 2025, which ended Sept. 30, according to the Treasury Department’s “Customs and Certain Excise Taxes” report.
So far in fiscal year 2026, which began on Oct. 1, the U.S. has collected $40.4 billion, according to the latest numbers published by the Treasury Department.
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The proposal comes at a pivotal moment, with tariff receipts climbing and the Supreme Court reviewing the legality of Trump’s trade measures, a case that could determine the future of his broader trade agenda.
