Quiz!
Who are the winners when a country increases taxes on imports (tariffs) from another country?
- The country taxing imports.
- The other county (the exporter).
- Neither country.
- Both countries.
The Winners and Losers of Tariffs
Tariffs hurt specialization across borders, limit global trade, and increase the costs to consumers – it’s a losing proposition for everyone involved. So, why would the US seek to increase tariffs? I believe that it is a negotiation tactic by the US, to try to reduce the trade imbalance with other countries (the US imports more than it exports). If I am correct, this can go on while each country involved figures out the extent of its power. I believe that once all the information is available and the negotiations are complete, any buildup in bilateral tariffs would be removed to everyone’s benefit.
Supporting my opinion is the fact that the world is very interconnected economically. Let’s view two big players in these negotiations: the US and China. I will point out several mutually beneficial connections in the table below.
|
Action |
Benefit to the US |
Benefit to China |
|
The US imports from China a lot more than it exports |
US consumers get cheaper products, thanks to cheaper labor in China. |
China gets more buyers for their products |
|
China loosely pegs the yuan (its currency) to the dollar. They get dollars from exports to the US, and buy US treasuries to keep the dollar’s value high enough relative to the yuan. |
The US government gets cheap loans from China, to support its huge budget deficit. China is the largest lender to the US government. |
By buying dollars, China keeps its currency low, to make its exports cheaper in dollars, and be more competitive. |
Quiz Answer:
Who are the winners when a country increases taxes on imports (tariffs) from another country?
- The country taxing imports.
- The other county (the exporter).
- Neither country. [The Correct Answer]
- Both countries.