Former Republican presidential nominee and Utah Senate candidate Mitt Romney spoke up today to condemn the Trump administration’s new tariffs that went into effect today, calling trade wars “a tax on Americans.”

At midnight last night, a 25 percent tariff on $34 billion of Chinese imports began. When the tariff plan was announced, China’s government announced their own plan to retaliate, imposing new tariffs on a list of American goods including electric cars and agricultural products like pork and soybeans.

As ABC News reported, the Trump administration has described the tariffs as necessary “because of China’s own aggressive trade practices and alleged theft of American intellectual property.”

Back in March, Trump had tweeted that trade wars are “good, and easy to win,” a claim that Romney clearly disputes.

When a country (USA) is losing many billions of dollars on trade with virtually every country it does business with, trade wars are good, and easy to win. Example, when we are down $100 billion with a certain country and they get cute, don’t trade anymore-we win big. It’s easy!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 2, 2018

Romney posted his comments in a tweet, avoiding mentioning Trump by name but nonetheless criticizing the policy.

“I’m not a fan of trade wars,” wrote Romney, saying that he hoped the new tariffs “can soon be removed and replaced by a mutually agreeable trade agreement.”

“Trade wars are a tax on Americans,” he continued. “They have severe consequences for many employers and inevitably cost American jobs.”

Romney also mentioned his concerns about the effect on the agriculture industry, especially in Utah, where it has experienced challenges from recent wildfires and droughts.

My thoughts on the trade war. pic.twitter.com/uegY4eUGjR

— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) July 6, 2018

Last month, Romney won the primary to become Utah’s Republican nominee for Senate. He will face Salt Lake County councilwoman Jenny Wilson, the Democrat, in November. Polls have consistently showed him to be the overwhelming favorite to win in conservative Utah.

Follow Sarah Rumpf on Twitter: @rumpfshaker.