Trump’s Tariffs: Do They Create a Net Gain for the U.S.? Let's Break Down The Numbers.
From Greg M
Lions…
FEEL FREE TO CHALLENGE MY FINDINGS BELOW. BACK UP YOUR CLAIMS WITH FACTS.
Trump’s Tariffs: Do They Create a Net Gain for the U.S.?
What Trump Claims. The U.S. is collecting billions in revenue from foreign nations via tariffs. These tariffs are supposedly leveling the trade playing field and bringing back manufacturing jobs. Tariffs = strength. That’s the slogan.
What’s Actually Happening… Who Pays the Tariffs? Not Foreign Nations, U.S. Consumers and Businesses Do. Tariffs are import taxes, not foreign surrender payments. The importer of record, i.e., the U.S. company bringing in goods, pays the tariff at the border. That cost is then passed on to U.S. consumers in the form of higher prices. Or absorbed by U.S. businesses, reducing margins and hurting competitiveness.
So yes — billions are being “collected”… but from us, not them.
THE BIGGER PICTURE.
Collateral Damage: Supply Chains, Inflation, and Job Losses. Many U.S. industries (automotive, agriculture, electronics, etc.) rely on foreign parts/materials. Tariffs make them more expensive, raising production costs and pushing inflation. Retaliatory tariffs from China, EU, and others crush U.S. exports, especially farmers. Billions in bailouts have already been paid out to offset the damage.
Net effect? Distorted trade, rising consumer prices, and broken global supply chains.
The Illusion of Gains: Revenue vs. Economic Health. Yes, the U.S. Treasury might collect $70–$80 billion a year in tariff revenue.
But… U.S. businesses and households pay far more than that in elevated costs.
The 2018–2019 trade war, for example, resulted in $316 billion in lost GDP according to nonpartisan estimates (CBO, Peterson Institute). The cost per job “protected” by tariffs? Often over $500,000 annually in total economic loss.
Result: The U.S. is Not Gaining… It’s Subsidizing the Illusion. The U.S. is paying more for goods. Exporting less. Bailing out harmed industries (with taxpayer money). Fueling global de-dollarization and fractured alliances.
Conclusion. Trump's tariffs do not result in a true net economic gain for the U.S.
They are a tax on Americans, wrapped in the flag, sold as strength.
But beneath the surface, they weaken competitiveness, fuel inflation, and create long-term trade distortions that are still unwinding.
GM
Greg, your premise is flawed. You state that Trump's tariffs don't create a net gain. Yet you back up with statements about the future.
Are you implying you know the future events? Which timeline are you viewing?
Stop with the panic and fear mongering. That's the role of Satan and his minions.
Great work Greg, but like most research reports and studies, you researched to find the conclusion you wanted. I don't understand how tariffs will be the end of America, but every other country thrives by them? If Toyota for instance already builds half their cars in the USA, maybe they'll build all US sold cars in the USA to avoid tariffs? I know Trump can bloviate, but in this case I trust that he is trying to rebuild America in the long run. You and all the Lib media are only talking about "today", as in kicking the can is a good thing as long as we don't feel any pain today. I'm older than you and my parents were born in the 1910's so I have ingrained in me the depression and the 1970's oil shortage. Imagine today if people had to wait in line 3 hours for a tank of gas, and only on the one day a week that you were allowed! Forget about bread and soup lines! The country has become soft and needs a swift kick in the ass. Right now Trump is in office and he seems to be trying to make a difference for the future, in exact opposite of the last President who did everything to destroy the future. If he is true and righteous, then we know he is fighting evil forces well beyond what we see, as well as the 24/7 dishonest news and commie dem party. If he is part of that system, then we're screwed any way you cut it. I'm choosing to believe and have faith that 4 years from now, we will be on a much better path for the future. PS For all the haters, this is my opinion. We are allowed to have opinions. I'm not saying you or I are right or wrong, we may just have a different opinions.