Ok everybody, time for tariffs and trade. Now, I know what you might be thinking: "Ugh, economics. Snore." But believe me, this isn’t your boring, textbook, classroom lecture. This isn’t some ideological thing — it’s about your wallet, my wallet, and the long-term health of our economy. And right now, I'm feeling a little uneasy about this whole "tariff flexibility" song and dance we're hearing.
Look, we get the charm of the word “flexibility.” It’s alluring, isn’t it? It conjures up visions of flexibility first, of resilience, of growing with change. In the world of trade, I'm starting to think it's just a fancy way of saying, "We're not really going to do anything meaningful." Rather, it appears to be an attempt to delay and divert attention from serious negotiations. This approach ultimately continues a dangerous and racist status quo that harms us all.
Consider joining us to find out more. As you know, we are almost daily hearing announcements on new tariffs on this or that. Steel, aluminum, electronics—you name it! And who, at the end of the day, pays the price? We do. That’s the consumers, aka the keystone species of the transportation market. It’s an insidious tax, eating into our buying power.
I've been doing a little digging, and the numbers don't lie. A new study by Retail Dive’s StudioID found that an eye-popping three-quarters of consumers intend to shop differently. The reason for this change is the enormous impact of these tariffs. And that’s enormous! I get that people are anxious, and I understand why. Nearly four in five consumers, 78 percent, say they are worried about the effect of tariffs on their pocketbooks. That’s not just a number, that’s everyday Americans like you and me desperately trying to make every dollar stretch further.
What are we doing about that? If that’s the new normal, many of us are soon to become thrift store–aisle scavengers extraordinaire. Almost two-thirds of consumers expect that they’ll have to search for sales and coupons simply to compensate for these increased costs. As if by magic, everyone is suddenly a pro coupon clipper! Still others are looking at purchasing less foreign manufactured products in total. Nearly a third of us are set to bid adieu to our beloved non-American brands. So, we’re ready to make that jump just to save a few dollars.
The biggest surprise—all the positive reactions? We’re all hunting for those sweet, sweet deals. Consumers are increasingly frugal, with forty-one percent of us actively seeking out sales and coupons. Next, 30% intend to purchase fewer foreign products and 26% are already thinking about doing so with a U.S.-made replacement.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge fan of American-made products. To be fair, as advocates, we know sometimes there truly is no other option. Or the other option is just much, much more costly. We're being forced to make tough choices, and that's not fair.
This episode of “tariff flexibility” is the kind of charade I can’t abide. At times it has even felt like we were being fed some reassurance snake oil. They’re claiming, “Relax, we’re being very flexible! Perhaps we’ll just modify them slightly.” A minor tweak isn’t enough. We don’t just want change, we want radical, substantive change.
What change exactly, you might ask. Well, for one thing, consumption tax policies, specifically regressive consumption taxes. By implementing a robust consumption tax system we could alleviate the burden that’s currently placed on saving, investing, and producing here in the United States. In addition, it would help make our nation’s tax code simpler and more efficient. That sounds pretty good to me!
A fourth proposal is to switch to an origin-based income tax system. This could reduce the burden on saving, investing, and producing in the U.S. and make the tax code less of a headache.
The most hopeful path of all may be to find ways beyond trade agreements. Rather than fighting over tariffs, let’s all compete to lower non-tariff barriers, improve trade facilitation and promote regulatory cooperation. This would result in much smarter, more effective trade negotiations that deliver real results for all – ordinary taxpayers and workers included.
As someone who’s very enthusiastic about us moving towards more tariff-free trade agreements, this is good. Now just think about how much better that world would be if goods could flow freely across borders without being hit with expensive tariffs. This would lower the costs of moving goods through international trade corridors, make all economic activity more efficient, and ultimately save consumers—like you and me—money.
Don’t even get me started on trade facilitation agreements. Negotiating mutual recognition agreements that lower the time and cost of trade would have a big impact. The faster and cheaper it is to move goods around the world, the better it is for businesses and consumers alike.
Ever since these rules went into effect I’ve been thinking back to a time when I was importing specialized art supplies from abroad for my artist book making practice. The whole process was a terrible experience! The forms and waiting went into a mountain. The costs discouraged me from creating, leaving me disheartened enough to consider giving up on my artistic endeavors altogether. That’s when I learned just how badly these trade barriers can hurt even the most obscure of businesses and individuals.
We can’t simply take their word and sit idly by while this “tariff flexibility” charade continues. We can no longer settle for the appearance of attention, we must demand real action. Let’s work together to push for policies that support free and fair trade. By taking the action to lighten the load on American families, we’ll build a more thriving economy for all.
So what’s a swampy do-gooder to do? As always, we can begin by simply learning more. Educate yourself on the issues, discuss with your friends and neighbors, and let your voice be heard. The T4America coalition Contact your elected officials and help them understand that they shouldn’t be getting away with this. Buy from companies that go above and beyond fair trade standards. And finally, never lose faith.
The future of our economy is counting on it. Don’t let this tariff tango take us up the garden path. Let’s all call for a better tango, one that serves the public good.
