


President Trump is set to impose tariffs on imports from America’s three largest trading partners: Goods from Mexico and Canada will be subject to 25 percent tariffs and those from China will be hit by a 10 percent fee. The White House said that the tariffs will go into effect tomorrow.
The president, who on the campaign trail described tariff as “the most beautiful word in the dictionary,” has made clear that he intends to use the powerful economic tool to advance his domestic political goals. The planned tariffs are, in large part, an effort to pressure Mexico, China and Canada to accept deportees and help stop the flow of migrants and drugs into the country.
The tariffs will immediately raise costs for the importers who bring products across the border, including oil and gas. That could incentivize more U.S. manufacturing. But it could also disrupt supply chains and lead to product shortages. In the longer run, companies could pass the cost on to American consumers, raising prices and slowing the economy.
All three governments have promised to answer Trump’s levies with tariffs of their own on U.S. exports, including Florida orange juice, Tennessee whiskey and Kentucky peanut butter.
For more: My colleagues broke down what tariffs could mean for each country.