Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) suggested a key factor could lead to the United States emerging as the victor in its tariff feud with China, as the latter country was not included in the 90-day tariff delay granted by President Donald Trump last week.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is meeting with “friendly socialist neighbors” in Vietnam a week after the U.S. imposed a 145% tariff rate on Chinese goods, which comes as the Trump administration is seeking to pressure China into stopping the flow of fentanyl into the U.S. Moreno, who has previously visited China, contended that Xi could enter a “panic mode” once he sees unemployment grow within his country, citing how a large amount of China’s goods are not consumed and purchased within its borders.

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“The reality is China is a massive exporter, they don’t consume the products there,” Moreno explained on Fox News’s Faulkner Focus. “They need the rest of the world. The largest marketplace is the United States. And look, President Trump is right: China has been screwing us over for 50 years, taking advantage of us, stolen our intellectual property, sent base chemicals to Mexico that turns into fentanyl, killed a hundred-plus thousand Americans every year. How can we let that go on?”

Moreno further suggested that the U.S. should be united in backing Trump’s feud with China, and called for the U.S. to become “totally independent” on producing its own semi-conductors, steel, and automobiles. His call mirrors what Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has stated, as the secretary has urged to “reshore” the U.S.’s own production for the sake of national security.

The Ohio senator specifically addressed the need for the U.S. to produce its own pharmaceutical goods, calling his country’s dependence on other countries “an existential threat to Americans” that needs to be addressed “really quickly.”

TRUMP’S CHINA TARIFFS SHOWDOWN MAKES WAR LIKELIER

Following the U.S.’s implementation of a 145% tariff on China, the latter country responded by implementing a retaliatory 125% tariff. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has argued the escalation was a “loser” for Beijing, and called it “unfortunate” that China was unwilling to negotiate during an appearance on Fox Business Network.

As China and the U.S. clash with tariffs, businessman and Shark Tank host Kevin O’Leary has encouraged the U.S. to turn the heat up and implement a 400% tariff on the rival country. He also suggested that Xi can only remain the supreme leader of his country “if people are employed.”