Tariffs—Bringing Treasure Home

Alright. All this hand wringing and worry over the administration throwing out tariff after tariff seems a bit overblown. I am not a big fan of tariffs as they do have a temporary inflationary impact in the marketplace.

How important home grown industry is to our national security and economic well being

Well, if tariffs have this deleterious affect on consumer pocketbooks, why would we sit on the sidelines and let the administration go hog wild in slapping tariffs on many of our key trade commodities? The reason we ought to take a chill pill over what the administration is doing is because the president wants to bring industry and treasure back to the United States.

Regulations and tariffs imposed by our trading partners affect the ability of American companies to compete internationally. Other countries subsidize their industries, putting American companies at a severe disadvantage. Thus, if the administration puts reciprocal tariffs on goods, then the administration is simply trying to level the playing field.

The real goal of the administration is to create a market environment where bringing manufacturing back to America makes business sense. There will be a fair amount of pain and suffering up front, but in the long run, American companies will be using American steel, computer chips and other materials to make American goods that can compete at home and abroad. 

The sad truth is that most Americans do not know how the marketplace really works. The average citizen looks at what gets put on the table or in the driveway but isn’t unaware of how important home grown industry is to our national security and economic well being.

In the end, however, every American will be more secure and better off economically

Maria Bartiromo is the early morning host on Fox Business Network. She has been the champion of making sure we look at the tariff regime laid out by the administration through national security lenses. She is absolutely right.

We ought to be support bringing industry back to America. That way, the Chinese (our greatest national security threat) and other real or potential trading partners will not be confused about what our goal is—strategic goods and services built in America.

Every producer in the United States will be affected in one way or another by the Trump tariff program. Every consumer will feel the affects, as well. In the end, however, every American will be more secure and better off economically. Our trade balance will begin to level, and Americans will be working in higher paying jobs producing higher quality goods.

I am watching the markets very closely. I would recommend you all keep an eye on how we are treating China, Mexico and Canada, our three largest trade partners. Canada and Mexico seem to get it, but China is all about bringing the United States down a notch or two. Pay attention to what is going on and Buy American. It’s about time we were able to say that will pride and conviction.