WASHINGTON — To President Donald Trump, “tariff†is more than “the most beautiful word in the dictionary,†something he says often.
Tariffs, in Trump’s view, are also a cure for a number of the nation’s ills and the tool to reach new heights.
President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress on March 4 at the Capitol.
Most economists see taxes paid on imports as capable of addressing unfair trade practices, but they’re skeptical of the quasi-miraculous properties that Trump claims they possess.
As the Republican president has touched off a trade war with America’s trading partners, he has offered an array of reasons to justify the steep tariffs he’s imposing or considering on goods coming from Mexico, Canada, China and beyond, despite warnings from experts that adding taxes to imported goods leads to higher prices for U.S. businesses and consumers.
A look at Trump’s justifications for the tariffs he’s imposing:
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To balance trade and spur U.S. manufacturing
Trump, in his address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday, said his threats of tariffs have spurred more U.S. manufacturing in the auto industry.
“Plants are opening up all over the place,†Trump said.
In comments directed at manufacturers, the president added: “If you don’t make your product in America, however, under the Trump administration, you will pay a tariff and in some cases a rather large one.â€
Trump, however, is granting a one-month exemption on his stiff new tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada, as worries persist that the newly launched trade war could crush domestic manufacturing. The pause comes after Trump spoke with leaders of the Big 3 automakers — Ford, General Motors and Stellantis — on Wednesday, according to the White House.
To stop illegal immigration and human trafficking
Stopping illegal immigration has been one of Trump’s top priorities, and he’s used it as part of the rationale behind steep tariffs he’s imposing on America’s border nations, Canada and Mexico.
Trump last month gave both countries a temporary reprieve from his tariff threats after they took steps to appease his concerns about border security, including Canada's move to list Mexican cartels as terrorist groups and Mexico's announcement it would send 10,000 troops from its National Guard to its northern border.
On Sunday, Trump posted on his social media network: “ILLEGAL BORDER CROSSINGS LAST MONTH WERE THE LOWEST EVER RECORDED. THANK YOU!!!â€
The next day, Trump announced he was imposing the tariffs anyway and said there was “no room left†for those countries to avoid the taxes.
To stop the flow of fentanyl
Trump has also cited the illicit flow of fentanyl into America as a reason for his tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China, though a much smaller amount comes across America’s northern border than its southern border.
U.S. customs agents seized 43 pounds of fentanyl at the Canadian border during the last fiscal year, compared with 21,100 pounds at the Mexican border.
Trump, in a post on his Truth social media network on Wednesday, said that when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asked what could be done about the tariffs, “I told him that many people have died from Fentanyl that came through the Borders of Canada and Mexico, and nothing has convinced me that it has stopped.â€
Trump’s order imposing tariffs on China says that country’s government provides a “safe haven†for criminal organizations to “launder the revenues from the production, shipment and sale of illicit synthetic opioids.â€
To balance the budget
Last month, when Trump spoke at an investment summit in Miami, he said tariffs will help balance the federal budget.
“We’re trying to balance the budget immediately, and because of the tariff income, which is really — it’s already turned out to be amazing, actually," Trump said. "It’s really meant more for bringing countries and companies into our country, but it’s — the numbers are rather staggering, because we’re the big piggy bank that everybody wants to be.â€
To impose ‘fairness’
“I’ve decided for purposes of fairness that I will charge a reciprocal tariff,†Trump said last month as he signed a proclamation laying out his plan for reciprocal tariffs. “It’s fair to all. No other country can complain.â€
To bolster national security
Trump signed executive orders in February and March instructing the Commerce Department to consider whether tariffs on imported copper, lumber and timber were needed to protect national security.
The order Trump signed in February said copper plays a vital role in U.S. defense, infrastructure and emerging technologies, and it ordered Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to investigate “actions to mitigate such threats, including potential tariffs.â€
To make child care more affordable
Last year, as Trump campaigned again for the presidency, he frequently proselytized his tariff plans and in one appearance suggested tariffs could help solve rising child care costs.
In response to a question about how he'd tackle child care costs so more women could join the workforce, Trump brought up his plan to raise taxes on imports and said, “We’re going to be taking in trillions of dollars, and as much as child care is talked about as being expensive, it’s — relatively speaking — not very expensive, compared to the kind of numbers we’ll be taking in."
