"Trump's Tariff "Chain Gun": The Old Routine of Trade Protection"

When Trump fires the highest 100% tariff "cannonade," it seems to be a tough crackdown on imported goods, but in fact, it is just an old trick of trade protectionism wrapped in a new packaging. This move is a political calculation to please voters and force the return of industries domestically, while externally, it is a shortsighted gamble that reignites trade friction—however, this tariff "double-edged sword" will likely first make the United States suffer the consequences.

1. The "glamorous facade" of political maneuvering cannot hide the illusion of industrial return.

Trump attempted to use tariff barriers to "bind" manufacturing back to the United States, such as imposing a 100% tariff on pharmaceutical companies that do not establish factories in the U.S. and a 25% tariff on heavy trucks. However, industrial return has never been successfully achieved through tariffs "forcing" it. Not to mention the high labor and operational costs of establishing factories in the U.S., the deep binding of the global industrial chain cannot be easily severed by a single tariff. Pharmaceutical companies will ultimately pass the costs onto drug prices to avoid tariffs by setting up factories in the U.S.; heavy truck companies will either bear the tariff costs or be forced to establish operations in the U.S., and behind this is the awkward reality of U.S. industrial upgrading lagging, covered by the "fig leaf" of tariffs.

2. The Backlash of Global Supply Chains: The "Nightmare" of American Companies' Supply Chains

Tariffs targeting imported heavy trucks, kitchen cabinets, upholstered furniture, and other areas are all industries with clearly defined global supply chain divisions. Raising tariffs by 25%, 50%, or even 30% directly increases the supply chain costs for American companies. Truck manufacturers that rely on imported components either accept rising costs that compress profits or pass the price increases onto downstream customers; furniture companies facing a 50% tariff on kitchen cabinets ultimately have to either reduce profit margins or make American consumers pay a higher premium for "domestic production." This operation of "protecting in name while increasing costs in practice" essentially gambles on the competitiveness of American companies and the stability of the global supply chain.

3. The Invisible Tax Bill for Consumers: Tariffs ultimately mean "the wool comes from the sheep."

Trump's tariff "cannonade" will ultimately become the "bill" for American consumers. A 100% tariff on imported medicines means that patients reliant on imported drugs will have to spend more money on treatment; soaring tariffs on kitchen cabinets and soft furniture will drive up renovation costs and home consumption. The so-called "trade protection" is merely shifting the costs of the global supply chain onto the American public in the form of tariffs, forcing them to silently bear the economic costs in a political show.

This wave of tariff actions seems to be Trump's "tough card," but in reality, it is a political gamble that harms others and benefits oneself with difficulty. Trade barriers may bring short-term political clout, but in the long run, the backlash from the global industrial chain, high costs for enterprises, and the shrinking wallets of consumers will ultimately make the costs of this "trade protection drama" be paid back by the United States itself. #特朗普关税