
Do Tariffs Benefit the Economy? A Featured Controversy from Issues & Controversies
On April 2, 2025, a day christened “Liberation Day,” President Donald Trump announced sweeping tariffs on imported goods from dozens of countries around the world, arguing that the move would create jobs in the United States by reversing what he charged had been a decades-long decimation of U.S. manufacturing by free trade policies and unfair foreign competition. Critics called the president’s moves erratic and his promises to bring back the heyday of American manufacturing unrealistic, while supporters argued that it was past time for the United States to stand up to countries that had flooded it with cheap products while erecting their own trade barriers against U.S. exports. This new article from Issues & Controversies highlights the ongoing discussion happening in the U.S. about tariffs. Do tariffs benefit the U.S. economy? Here is a sample of the arguments on both sides of the issue you’ll find in this new Issues & Controversies’ article. Learn more about Issues & Controversies A Featured Controversy from Issues & Controversies: Tariffs: Do Import Duties Benefit the U.S. Economy? TARIFF SUPPORTERS ARGUE TARIFF OPPONENTS ARGUE Free trade has been a disaster for American workers. Other countries implement tariffs to protect their domestic industries, and the