Trump's Longstanding Trade Position

Donald Trump's advocacy for tariffs has been a consistent hallmark of his political career, dating back to the 1980s. He expressed his dissatisfaction with trade practices, particularly regarding China, which he perceived as unfairly exploiting the U.S. market. His administration implemented significant tariffs on Chinese imports, starting with specific products like solar panels and washing machines and expanding to cover nearly all goods from China, amounting to around $200 billion. Despite criticism from economists warning of negative impacts such as increased inflation and harm to middle-class households, both Trump and the Biden administration maintained and even expanded these tariffs, reflecting a bipartisan consensus on anti-China policies.