Trump’s New Tariffs

Jillienne Lee

Staff Writer

President Donald Trump has taken over the Oval Office and one of his first steps has been to impose tariffs. Trump announced a new plan of applying a 10% tariff on imports from all countries, which has led to an increase in the price of goods.

 According to the Washington Post, “That means roughly $3.3 trillion in goods imported annually to the United States will automatically face an additional 10 percent tax.”

Additionally, the White House will impose many other country-specific tariffs. These will result in less trades with more countries.

One of the main countries affected by this is Canada, but in response, they have given counter tariffs to the United States. Trump is imposing these tariffs to gain more money to pay for GOP-backed tax cuts and for more companies to bring production to the United States.

Democrats are very worried about what this may mean for the state of the economy. According to ABC News, Senator Chuck Schumer said, “So, we’re going to fight these tariffs tooth and nail. Trump’s done a lot of bad things. This is way up there.” Democrats are urging Republicans to stand against Trump, as they believe this will cause a “chaotic trade war.”

According to CBS News, the goods impacted by Trump’s tariffs include electronics, oil, batteries, cars, clothing, shoes, wine and spirits, furniture, coffee and chocolate, and Swiss watches. The prices of everyday necessities, like eggs, will also be affected.

Americans are upset as well. Dan Fitch, a nurse, said, “The cost of living has already been elevated for a while. So adding on tariffs — I don’t see how that positively affects anybody,” he told NPR.

While many Republicans are the ones supporting the tariffs, some are beginning to question it. Senator’s Susan Collins, Mitch McConnell, Lisa Murkowski, and Rand Paul, are just some legislators who have raised concern about the effect the tariffs will have on the economy.

Reducing inflation was one of Trump’s main promises during the 2024 election, but with the tariffs, Americans might not see a decrease in inflation right away.