Washington DC (670 KBOI News) – The trade war with China has pundits, politicians and consumers alike, worried about what increased tariffs between the United States and China might mean for their retirement savings, and the prices they pay for just about everything.

Idaho Senator Mike Crapo says yes, we’re in for some rough economic times, but this is a storm that’s been brewing for decades, because elected officials haven’t wanted to confront China over it’s trade violations.

“For years, the United States kept saying to China, ‘you’ve got to deal with fair trade policies, you’ve got to join the World Trade Organization,  and you’ve got to follow the rules like the rest of the countries do in trade’.    China would give lip service to that and say yes, we agree, we’ll do that, but then never would do it,” he said.

Crapo says this is a fight we need to have, because if we don’t win, it’ll mean China’s position on the world economic stage will continue to strengthen, and ours will continue to weaken.