TARIFFS: Unnecessary strain on working class

President Trump’s ongoing tariff war with Canada, Mexico and China is a political action taken at the expense of our country’s financial health. According to CBS News, the United States imports a total of $85 billion in agricultural products from Canada and Mexico every year. When subjected to a 25% tariff, the cost of those products will rise substantially. The electronics industry will face a similar struggle. Many of the materials used in our electronics, such as integrated circuits and fixed capacitors, are imported from China. A paper released by the Joint Electronic Committee estimated that President Trump’s proposed 20% tariff will increase the total cost of electronics by 11%, forcing even large vendors like Best Buy and Target to increase their prices dramatically.  

President Trump’s tariffs are not limited to agricultural and electronic products. They extend to auto parts, school supplies, clothing, and thousands of other products. A survey conducted by the Yale Budget Lab found that President Trump’s proposed tariffs would cost the average consumer household $1,600-2,000. That cost puts unnecessary strain on a working class already suffering under an increasingly expensive cost of living, and due to that cost, the United States will lose $80-110 billion annually. In summary, neither consumers nor the economy benefit from President Trump’s currently outlined tariffs. Bearing this in mind, I can only conclude that the president is taking this action for political benefit, and for the financial health of the United States, I would implore him to reconsider.  

RAINE CINO 

Coeur d’Alene