Trump Places Tariffs on Foreign Goods

Journalist Karen Catchpole explores the new tariffs placed by President Trump

Image Source: NPR

President Trump took office in January 2025 and has already made several impactful policy moves—one of the most notable being the implementation of new tariffs on imported goods. On April 2, 2025, he announced a 10% universal tariff on all imported goods, along with higher targeted tariffs, including a 60% tariff on Chinese imports and a 25% tariff on automobiles from several countries, including Mexico and Canada. These actions could have significant consequences for consumers, the U.S. economy, and international trade relationships. Tariffs are taxes or fees imposed on imported goods from foreign countries. There are several reasons why tariffs are used, but one of the primary goals is to protect domestic industries.

By making foreign products more expensive, tariffs can encourage consumers to buy locally produced alternatives. This, in theory, stimulates domestic economic growth. While the administration has offered several justifications for the tariffs—such as rebuilding U.S. manufacturing and addressing trade imbalances—some rhetoric has also linked the policy to combating the fentanyl crisis. On February 1st, the White House released a statement declaring fentanyl a “national emergency.” However, this reasoning has been met with skepticism. Moreover, while the opioid crisis remains a major concern, overdose deaths were not consistently declining during President Biden’s term. Contrary to the article’s earlier claim, the CDC reported that overdose deaths increased during most of his presidency, although the rate of increase began to slow in late 2023.

President Trump’s tariffs on Canada have also raised concerns because of the deep economic interdependence between the two countries. Many goods, particularly automobiles, are produced through cross-border supply chains. For example, car components may travel between factories in Detroit and Canadian plants multiple times before a vehicle is completed and sold. Tariffs could disrupt this finely tuned process and increase costs for manufacturers and consumers alike.