Trump’s new tariffs ‘a sales tax that will make life harder for Americans’, say Democrats – US politics live
Even some Republicans apparently expressing concern over measures against 85 countries Sign up for the US Breaking News email Donald Trump has once again inspired
Even some Republicans apparently expressing concern over measures against 85 countries Sign up for the US Breaking News email Donald Trump has once again inspired anger and confusion in US allies and trading partners as he imposed a wave of tariffs on more than 80 countries, replacing an expiring global duty introduced earlier this year. The new measures effectively replace blanket 10% tariffs that Trump imposed in February. The US supreme court ruled many of those were illegal.
The new levies come in at between 10% and 12.5% on countries including the UK, Mexico, Canada, Australia, India, China and the 27 countries that make up the EU. If he was serious, he would not be applying the same tariff rate to China, one of the worst forced labor abusers in the world, as he does to countries like Australia. Then again, unlike China, Australia, doesn’t manufacture any Trump corporation products. This is the same administration that gutted funding to combat forced labor through cuts to the Bureau of International Labor Affairs and rolled back worker protections here at home, while encouraging companies to profit off some of the world’s worst forced labor abusers through his proposed US-China Board of Trade.
Everything that you do that’s not focused on affordability is not helpful. This might not be a negative five, but it’s a negative 0.5. Anything that you’re doing that is not on the plus side of the scale is a problem. When you announce new tariffs, it’s not like, okay, well, let’s see what they do. It’s, ‘Oh crap, those are the bad things.’ I think Republicans are comfortable with the threat, even though that has some market impacts.
But actual revenue coming away from people’s pocketbooks is not what Republicans are happy with. Any conversation about tariffs, unless it’s reducing them, is a bad conversation for Republicans. Continue reading...
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