Wed, 06 May 2026 04:16:16 +0000

Trump vs Tariffs: The Untold Story Behind the Hidden Damage to Trade In recent years, former President Donald Trump’s aggressive tariff policies sparked global headlines—and not always for the reasons policymakers intended. While tariffs were framed as tools to protect American industries, strengthen bargaining power in trade deals, and reduce the U.S. trade deficit, their long-term economic consequences reveal a far more complex and damaging reality. Beyond the immediate headlines, Trump’s tariff strategy triggered a ripple effect across global supply chains, consumer prices, and diplomatic relations—uncovering a hidden toll on trade that is largely overlooked in political discourse. ## The Trump Tariff Strategy: A Populist Gambit When Donald Trump took office in 2017, he made foreign tariffs a centerpiece of his economic agenda. Blaming unfair trade practices—particularly from China—Trump imposed sweeping tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of imports. These included steel and aluminum tariffs under Section 232, auto tariffs threatening allies like Canada and the EU, and the high-profile Canada–Mexico–United States Agreement (USMCA)-related steel tariffs designed to protect domestic manufacturing.