(Bloomberg) -- Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said protectionism can hurt economic growth and productivity, just as the U.S. ratchets up trade tensions with China, the European Union and other partners.

Testifying Tuesday before the Senate Banking Committee, Powell was responding to a question about the economic impact of President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

“In general, countries that have remained open to trade, that haven’t erected barriers including tariffs, have grown faster. They’ve had higher incomes, higher productivity,” he said. “Countries that have gone in a more protectionist direction have done worse.”

Powell was careful not to specifically criticize Trump’s trade policies, which have included imposing levies on imports in a push to lower barriers to U.S. exports. The White House in recent months has slapped duties on shipments of high-tech goods from China as well as steel and aluminum from most of its trading partners.

“Trade is really the business of Congress, and Congress has delegated some of that to the executive branch,” Powell said. “But nonetheless, it has significant effects on the economy. And I think when there are long-run effects we should talk about it, and talk in principle.”

Asked whether he viewed the European Union as an economic foe of the U.S., Powell said “no, I do not.” Trump said earlier this month he sees the trade bloc as an adversary on trade.

To contact the reporters on this story: Reade Pickert in Washington at epickert@bloomberg.net;Jeff Kearns in Washington at jkearns3@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Brendan Murray at brmurray@bloomberg.net, Randall Woods, Vince Golle

©2018 Bloomberg L.P.