Confronting Capitalism: Who Benefits From Trump’s Tariffs?
Feb 12, 2025
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Vivek Chibber, a Professor at NYU and editor of Catalyst, dives into the complexities of Trump’s tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China. He critically examines how these tariffs, touted as support for American workers, differ from historical protectionist policies. Chibber argues that, unlike past practices that bolstered domestic industries, today's tariffs are politically motivated and unlikely to help workers. The conversation highlights the economic implications of these measures, suggesting they protect capital while burdening consumers.
Trump's tariffs, unlike historical protectionist policies, do not effectively benefit American workers and may instead raise consumer prices.
The shift from tariffs to free trade in the U.S. has rendered current tariffs insufficient without strategic government interventions to stimulate manufacturing.
Deep dives
Understanding Tariffs and Their Implications
Tariffs serve as a mechanism for raising the price of imports by imposing taxes on goods entering a country. Importers are directly impacted by these tariffs, as they face higher costs when bringing products into the market. Often, these increased costs are passed on to consumers, resulting in higher prices for goods. The complexity of this system highlights that while tariffs can generate government revenue and impact consumer prices, it is essential to understand who bears the burden of these costs.
Historical Context of Tariff Use
Historically, tariffs have been employed by countries primarily for two reasons: to generate government revenues and to protect domestic industries. In the U.S., before the introduction of income tax, tariffs accounted for nearly all government revenue. Developing nations have utilized protectionist policies, such as tariffs, to foster their emerging industries against more competitive foreign counterparts, specifically to create a conducive environment for local manufacturing. The effectiveness of these historical efforts is demonstrated by the positive outcomes experienced by many successful late industrializers who implemented such strategies.
The Evolution of U.S. Trade Policy
The United States has transitioned from relying on tariffs for protectionism in the 19th century to endorsing free trade throughout much of the 20th century due to its growing manufacturing capabilities. Industrial firms, feeling competitive on a global scale, influenced this shift towards open trade policies, advocating for a stable international economic order. This new framework aimed to prevent conflict between economic powers by fostering interdependence through trade and investment. Consequently, as the U.S. economy matured, free trade became integral to its foreign policy and economic strategy.
The Debate on Modern Tariff Effectiveness
The effectiveness of current tariffs, particularly those imposed by the Trump administration, in revitalizing American manufacturing is met with skepticism. Unlike developing nations that used tariffs to nurture new industries, the U.S. is confronting a unique scenario where established firms have already opted for different sectors. Merely imposing tariffs yields higher prices for consumers and does not guarantee a shift in manufacturing strategies. Thus, for tariffs to meaningfully reinvigorate domestic manufacturing, they must be accompanied by strategic government interventions that encourage capitalists to invest in prioritized sectors.
Within weeks of assuming the presidency, Donald Trump has instituted tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China. Trump has touted protectionism as a way of supporting American workers.
In this episode of Confronting Capitalism, Catalyst editor Vivek Chibber and Jacobin contributor Melissa Naschek discuss how nineteenth and twentieth-century protectionist trade policies helped build domestic manufacturing bases around the world, but why Trump's twenty-first century tariffs are very different. While decades of global free trade have contributed to deindustrialization, workers are not likely to benefit from Trump’s tariffs.
Confronting Capitalism with Vivek Chibber is produced by Catalyst: A Journal of Theory and Strategy, and published by Jacobin. Music by Zonkey.
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