This implies there’s a right way to implement tariffs so it doesn’t harm the consumer, and Trump just did it wrong. All tariffs target the consumer. That’s the point.
There is a right way to implement tariffs. If, say, your steel industry is struggling against foreign competition, you target steel imports from the countries exporting to you (as few as possible to minimise retaliation), for a fixed period of time, and with subsidies for local manufacturers to get their shit in order. Ideally you don’t even call it tariffs, but instead accuse the foreign competitors of dumping / low quality products// worker rights violations / virgin sacrifice and say you’re just trying to create a level playing field. What you don’t do is tariff everything everywhere all at once and expect to get away with it.
Yeah, but the point about tariffs is to discourage the consumers from buying a foreign product by making it more expensive. It’s going to hit the consumer one way or another.
The comic make it look like the Trump tariffs are hitting the consumer by mistake.
This implies there’s a right way to implement tariffs so it doesn’t harm the consumer, and Trump just did it wrong. All tariffs target the consumer. That’s the point.
There is a right way to implement tariffs. If, say, your steel industry is struggling against foreign competition, you target steel imports from the countries exporting to you (as few as possible to minimise retaliation), for a fixed period of time, and with subsidies for local manufacturers to get their shit in order. Ideally you don’t even call it tariffs, but instead accuse the foreign competitors of dumping / low quality products// worker rights violations / virgin sacrifice and say you’re just trying to create a level playing field. What you don’t do is tariff everything everywhere all at once and expect to get away with it.
Yeah, but the point about tariffs is to discourage the consumers from buying a foreign product by making it more expensive. It’s going to hit the consumer one way or another.
The comic make it look like the Trump tariffs are hitting the consumer by mistake.