“President Donald Trump’s continued embrace of tariffs spells danger for Michigan,” says Tyler Groenendal in an op-ed for the Detroit Times.
Groenendal, the foundation relations coordinator at the Acton Institute, says though Trump is noted for his “America First” refrain, his call for tariffs will ultimately hurt America the most:
Michigan is particularly vulnerable to the consequences of protectionism. According to estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau of Economic Analysis, imports and exports accounted for 38.9 percent of the Michigan’s gross domestic product in 2017. In layman’s terms, businesses in Michigan buy and sell a lot from businesses outside of the United States.
By restricting international trade, Trump’s tariffs will harm industry and commerce statewide, who rely on foreign trade, while also forcing millions of consumers to pay higher costs on everything from whiskey to cars.
