Opinion : Letter to the Editor: Tariffs

Dear Editor,

February 1, 2025, executive orders imposed tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China effective on February 4.  A day later, Trump changed his mind and made it effective on March 4.  A week later, Trump expanded existing tariffs on steel and aluminum.  Three days later (Feb 14), Trump announced 25% tariffs on autos, computer chips, and pharmaceuticals effective April 2.  Will this administration *ever* get their … ummm… manure together?

High School Civics: Tariffs are effectively a tax increase. Prices of consumer goods go up and are paid by US consumers; the tariff is then rebated to US government.  The effective tax increase is regressive in nature – larger impact on those with lower incomes.

Agriculture Bailouts:  In 2017, Trump tariffs and resulting retaliations resulted lost access of US farmers to Chinese import markets.  This was the US farmers’ second largest agricultural export market at the time.  As a response in 2018, Trump introduced $16 billion in NEW aid to farmers.  Now, as we consider the unfettered access Musk seems to have to the Oval Office, the US Cabinet (!!), and federal workers, is there anyone willing to wager Trump will manage to have a similar program again?  (Note: if you’re a farmer, no fair ‘betting the farm’, that bet may have already happened.)

Paul Smalley