The use of tariffs by President Trump is certainly controversial! It runs counter to the enormous efforts and successes since the end of WW II to implement free trade among the nations.
However, there appears to be ample evidence that a lot of countries or e.g. the EU have also implemented e.g. non-tariff barriers to trade (e.g. climate change regulations) etc. over the decades. Or what about the "transshipment scam" (example Spain, Canada)? Thus undermining the principle of free trade!
However, notice that The John Locke Foundation and the Tax Foundation engage in some journalistic dishonesty. The huge extra government revenues due to the imposition of new tariffs is barely mentioned. How much US businesses and households suffered from the above mentioned trade restrictions imposed by other countries appears to be omitted (a typical case of "That Which is Seen, and That Which is Not Seen" fallacy made famous by Frederic Bastiat)
A reversal in the trade balance takes more than 12 months that is why it did not happen in 2025! Plus other than tariff factors may influence the trade balance of a country. Why "a reversal"? This is not required!
"The Tax Foundation is out with a new report summarizing the key economic impacts from Pres. Donald Trump’s tariff regime, kicked off by his “Liberation Day” announcement on April 2, 2025.
In short, the Tax Foundation analysts found that Trump’s tariffs have: imposed significant costs on U.S. households, harmed GDP, did not reduce America’s trade balance, and amounted to the largest tax increase since 1993.
Here is a summary of their key findings:
The Trump tariffs amounted to an average tax increase of $1,000 per US household: According to Tax Foundation analysis, the tax burden passed along to U.S. households amounted to an average of $1,000 per household in 2025. They project this burden will be $900 per household this year.
..."
"... Tariffs did not reverse the trade balance: One of the top stated goals of Trump’s tariff regime was to reverse America’s trade balance. A negative trade balance, of course, is not a reflection of a poor economy and can largely reflect sizeable foreign investment, as the country is seen as a profitable place to invest. Indeed, the U.S. has experienced negative trade balances for fifty years. After the implementation of Trump’s tariffs, the overall trade balance dropped by just $2.1 billion. The trade deficit in goods, however, actually deepened by $25.5 billion in 2025. ..."
