Prime Take: How Do Americans View US Tariff Hikes?
Published in Nanfang Daily
(China) on 9 April 2025
by Li Jia (link to original)
President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order increasing tariffs on a number of countries, including China. A 50% tariff on Chinese imports took effect on April 9, bringing the total tariff amount to 104%, sparking global concern and escalating trade tensions. The author is a currently a visiting scholar and has made in-depth observations and analyzed social media. I have found that Americans are generally worried that tax increases will push up prices, but opinions differ according to political position, economic circumstances and cultural background.
First, there is the pessimistic and disillusioned opposition, which includes most the American lower class. They believe that tax increases will raise prices, exacerbate inflation and impose a burden on ordinary consumers and businesses. A young woman who was interviewed believed that key decision-makers were making ridiculous decisions without considering the interests of ordinary people. She worried that, in an economic environment already full of uncertainty and on the verge of recession, the decision Trump and his administration are making would undoubtedly make the situation worse. Some people also believe that Trump is playing a game of chicken with the Federal Reserve, seeking a quick interest rate cut. Others linked the “tariff war” to international affairs, arguing that globalization was the antidote to global conflict and no one wanted to destroy their own partners or factories, but that isolationism, protectionism, tariffs and embargoes would lead to zero-sum thinking and could even lead to war.
Next there are the rational and analytical skeptics. These people are highly educated and have reservations about whether the tariff policy is effective. A Democratic former corporate executive who is active in community, media and business circles in a city in the Midwest believes that President Trump’s tariffs are aimed at protecting American jobs, but that those policies could escalate the trade war, increase costs and weaken U.S. competitiveness in the global market. The tariff policy is ostensibly aimed at protecting jobs and manufacturing in the U.S. and promoting the return of products “Made in the USA.” But this strategy also entails risk and controversy. For one thing, large-scale tariff increases may trigger retaliation from other countries, leading to an escalation of the trade war and affecting the stability of the global supply chain. For another, tariffs increase company operating costs. You cannot restore industrial capacity overnight, and these costs will ultimately be passed on to consumers. Finally, long-term reliance on tariff barriers may weaken the competitiveness of American companies in the global market, causing them to lose their advantage in technological innovation and cost control.
Then, there are the optimistic supporters. They believe these policies benefit the U.S. in the long run and that the country’s manufacturing industry is in urgent need of revitalization. Raising taxes may protect domestic industries, increase employment and help enhance America’s economic security and strategic position. An American citizen admitted that the current tariff war is actually a way of recycling past open-market policies. The U.S. has promoted globalization and free trade in recent decades, and a large number of goods have entered the U.S. market with relatively low tariffs. This has brought cheap goods, but it has also had an impact on domestic manufacturing. Now, by imposing additional tariffs, the U.S. can recoup revenue that it should have been collecting, thereby protecting its domestic industries. Although it is widely known that this will push prices up, Americans are also used to consuming and insensitive to price increases, so many people will continue to buy. Some people still support raising tariffs, but not for economic reasons. “This is about dependence — the U.S. economy should never be in a state of dependence,” they say. They believe that although tariff hikes may cause some inflationary pressure, they will bring jobs and businesses back to the U.S.
Finally, there is a group of people who are relatively indifferent: the politically apathetic. They have little interest in international affairs or macroeconomics, rarely follow the news, and do not believe that trade policies will directly affect them. These include people who, having experienced shocks such as the 2008 financial crisis and pandemic-driven inflation, are psychologically prepared for economic fluctuations. They no longer react as strongly to new rounds of trade wars, are less concerned with tariff issues, or believe that such macroeconomic policies have little bearing on their lives.
A review of recent U.S. policy shows that tariff policies are often not just economic measures but political tools in election years. Many politicians raise taxes and start trade wars to show voters they are protecting American interests, and this is especially the case for someone like Trump, who won the votes of many Midwestern manufacturing and agricultural states by imposing tariffs on Chinese products. People in these regions feel they have suffered from globalization, and now that a president has stepped up to be “tough on foreign policy,” they are more than willing to get behind him — and shouting “Bring manufacturing back” or “Make America great again” is much easier than actually solving complex problems such as inflation and unemployment. Combine that with intense and sensationalized media coverage, and voter emotion runs high, so imposing tariffs is not simply an economic move, but also part of a political drama.
The flip-flopping on tariff policy shows how capricious the Trump administration is. On April 5, anti-Trump demonstrations flared up simultaneously at more than 1,200 locations across all 50 states, protesting Trump administration policies such as layoffs and cuts to Social Security and Medicare, and calling for an end to intervention in immigration and related policies. American society is undergoing profound political turmoil and emotional polarization. Increasingly conservative policies, rising barriers to immigration, and cuts to social welfare are fueling anxiety and disillusionment among the middle class and professionals, prompting a quiet wave of people leaving in search of a more stable and inclusive environment.
First, there is the pessimistic and disillusioned opposition, which includes most the American lower class. They believe that tax increases will raise prices, exacerbate inflation and impose a burden on ordinary consumers and businesses. A young woman who was interviewed believed that key decision-makers were making ridiculous decisions without considering the interests of ordinary people. She worried that, in an economic environment already full of uncertainty and on the verge of recession, the decision Trump and his administration are making would undoubtedly make the situation worse. Some people also believe that Trump is playing a game of chicken with the Federal Reserve, seeking a quick interest rate cut. Others linked the “tariff war” to international affairs, arguing that globalization was the antidote to global conflict and no one wanted to destroy their own partners or factories, but that isolationism, protectionism, tariffs and embargoes would lead to zero-sum thinking and could even lead to war.
Next there are the rational and analytical skeptics. These people are highly educated and have reservations about whether the tariff policy is effective. A Democratic former corporate executive who is active in community, media and business circles in a city in the Midwest believes that President Trump’s tariffs are aimed at protecting American jobs, but that those policies could escalate the trade war, increase costs and weaken U.S. competitiveness in the global market. The tariff policy is ostensibly aimed at protecting jobs and manufacturing in the U.S. and promoting the return of products “Made in the USA.” But this strategy also entails risk and controversy. For one thing, large-scale tariff increases may trigger retaliation from other countries, leading to an escalation of the trade war and affecting the stability of the global supply chain. For another, tariffs increase company operating costs. You cannot restore industrial capacity overnight, and these costs will ultimately be passed on to consumers. Finally, long-term reliance on tariff barriers may weaken the competitiveness of American companies in the global market, causing them to lose their advantage in technological innovation and cost control.
Then, there are the optimistic supporters. They believe these policies benefit the U.S. in the long run and that the country’s manufacturing industry is in urgent need of revitalization. Raising taxes may protect domestic industries, increase employment and help enhance America’s economic security and strategic position. An American citizen admitted that the current tariff war is actually a way of recycling past open-market policies. The U.S. has promoted globalization and free trade in recent decades, and a large number of goods have entered the U.S. market with relatively low tariffs. This has brought cheap goods, but it has also had an impact on domestic manufacturing. Now, by imposing additional tariffs, the U.S. can recoup revenue that it should have been collecting, thereby protecting its domestic industries. Although it is widely known that this will push prices up, Americans are also used to consuming and insensitive to price increases, so many people will continue to buy. Some people still support raising tariffs, but not for economic reasons. “This is about dependence — the U.S. economy should never be in a state of dependence,” they say. They believe that although tariff hikes may cause some inflationary pressure, they will bring jobs and businesses back to the U.S.
Finally, there is a group of people who are relatively indifferent: the politically apathetic. They have little interest in international affairs or macroeconomics, rarely follow the news, and do not believe that trade policies will directly affect them. These include people who, having experienced shocks such as the 2008 financial crisis and pandemic-driven inflation, are psychologically prepared for economic fluctuations. They no longer react as strongly to new rounds of trade wars, are less concerned with tariff issues, or believe that such macroeconomic policies have little bearing on their lives.
A review of recent U.S. policy shows that tariff policies are often not just economic measures but political tools in election years. Many politicians raise taxes and start trade wars to show voters they are protecting American interests, and this is especially the case for someone like Trump, who won the votes of many Midwestern manufacturing and agricultural states by imposing tariffs on Chinese products. People in these regions feel they have suffered from globalization, and now that a president has stepped up to be “tough on foreign policy,” they are more than willing to get behind him — and shouting “Bring manufacturing back” or “Make America great again” is much easier than actually solving complex problems such as inflation and unemployment. Combine that with intense and sensationalized media coverage, and voter emotion runs high, so imposing tariffs is not simply an economic move, but also part of a political drama.
The flip-flopping on tariff policy shows how capricious the Trump administration is. On April 5, anti-Trump demonstrations flared up simultaneously at more than 1,200 locations across all 50 states, protesting Trump administration policies such as layoffs and cuts to Social Security and Medicare, and calling for an end to intervention in immigration and related policies. American society is undergoing profound political turmoil and emotional polarization. Increasingly conservative policies, rising barriers to immigration, and cuts to social welfare are fueling anxiety and disillusionment among the middle class and professionals, prompting a quiet wave of people leaving in search of a more stable and inclusive environment.
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