Tariffs

Tariffs are often presented as a way to protect American industry, but for consumers they function as a hidden triple tax. First, Americans are taxed when they earn their income. Then they are taxed again when they purchase goods through sales taxes. Finally, tariffs add a third layer: they are taxes placed on imported goods that companies inevitably pass on to consumers in the form of higher prices. The result is that families end up spending already-taxed dollars on products made more expensive by government policy. If the goal is to strengthen American prosperity, we should be honest about the real cost tariffs impose on the very people they claim to protect.