Why Tariffs Matter More Than You Think

Big picture, long term.

Imagine you’re running a small fishing business. You’ve got nets, boats, a crew, and years of know-how passed down through generations. Then one day, imported fish starts showing up in your market — dirt cheap. Tastes okay. Looks the same. Your customers love the price. You can’t compete, so you cut costs. Maybe lay off a few folks. Eventually, you hang it up.

Now what?

Let’s zoom out. This isn’t just about fish — it’s about everything we make. Microchips, textiles, tools, technology, even baby formula. When goods from overseas flood the market at prices lower than domestic producers can match, it feels like a win for the consumer… at first.

But over time, we risk forgetting how to fish.

Wait — Isn’t That What Antitrust Law is For?

In the U.S., There are antitrust and anti-monopoly laws to stop “predatory pricing” — when a company temporarily slashes prices below cost just to undercut a competitor, driving them out of business. Once they’re gone, prices go up and consumers are stuck with fewer options and higher costs.

Sound familiar?

In international trade, the same strategy can, and IS deployed by nations, not just corporations. And we often welcome it with open arms and open wallets — never mind the long-term cost.

What’s a Tariff, Anyway?

A tariff is a tax on imported goods. Critics say it’s protectionist. Supporters say it’s common sense. Tariffs are meant to:

• Level the playing field for domestic producers

• Encourage self-sufficiency in critical industries

• Discourage economic dependency on countries that might not have our best interests at heart

Cheap Products, Expensive Consequences

It’s hard to say no to a $4 screwdriver from overseas when the local one costs $12. But that screwdriver isn’t just a tool — it’s:

• A factory job in Michigan

• A small-town supply chain

• A young person learning a trade

• And a tax base for public schools and infrastructure

When we chase “cheaper,” we slowly unlearn how to make, how to craft, how to build. The skills fade. The tools rust. And when the cheap supply gets interrupted — whether by geopolitics, pandemics, or price hikes — we’re stuck waiting, paying more, or doing without.

We become consumers, not producers.

Dependency Is Not a Strategy

The US doesn’t allow monopolies for a reason. Policy makers have enacted legislation (that I don’t always agree with entirely) to prevent it. They regulate market dominance to preserve innovation, choice, and resilience. So why wouldn’t we apply that same thinking to trade?

Why let countries with state-subsidized industries dump under-priced goods into our economy with no concern for long-term impact?

It’s not isolationism to value self-reliance. It’s not protectionism to protect your ability to stand on your own.

Teach a Nation to Fish…

You know the saying:

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.”

We’ve been eating a lot of fish lately — cheap, fast, and from somewhere else.

But maybe it’s time to start fishing again.

Not because it’s trendy. Not because it’s easy. But because knowing how to fish is how we survive.

Let’s Talk Solutions

• Smart tariffs that protect key industries and preserve domestic skills

• Incentives for local and small manufacturing — not just high-tech but basics too

• Public awareness about what “cheap” really costs us

Because a country that can’t build its own fishing pole is just waiting for someone else to pull in that whale.

As an aside, the constitutionality of Trump going this alone is questionable. I will write on that soon enough.