Tariff Turmoil, Part 2: Steel and Dog Gelato

Tariffs have sparked intense debate in Washington, but their consequences land far from Capitol Hill. Tariffs can shape paychecks, shift prices for consumers, and affect markets. At best, tariffs offer short-term protection for certain industries. At worst, they can uproot the lives of American workers. In this episode, Why It Matters looks at what tariffs mean for a U.S. steel manufacturer and small business owner trying to stay afloat.

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Host
  • Gabrielle Sierra
    Director, Podcasting
Credits

Molly McAnany - Producer

Markus Zakaria - Audio Producer and Sound Designer

Episode Guests
  • Matthew P. Goodman
  • Jamie Sychak
    President of United Auto Workers Local 3303
  • Debbie Hendrickx
    Founder and CEO of Swell Gelato

Show Notes

Regardless of the intention behind them, tariffs carry consequences that reach far beyond the negotiating table. For U.S. steel manufacturers, tariffs could be a lifeline in a highly competitive global market. But for small business owners whose supply chain costs could skyrocket because of import taxes, tariffs can make or break their business.

 

This season, Why It Matters is taking you through the ins and outs of trade. In part two of our episode on tariffs, Why It Matters unpacks the trade-offs of tariffs, how tariffs could protect and preserve the U.S. steel industry, and how a small business faces uncertainty in new markets.

 

 

From CFR

 

Benn Steil and Elisabeth Harding, “Steel Productivity Has Plummeted Since Trump’s 2018 Tariffs

 

Dr. Christopher W. Smart, “Tariff Strategies Don’t Cause Inflation, But Trade Wars Do

 

James Wallar, “Congress: Retake Control of Tariffs and Let Businesses Get Back to the “Vision Thing”

 

Jonathan E. Hillman, “Chips, Steel, and Lawnmowers: What Trade Is Strategic?

 

Shannon K. O'Neil and Julia Huesa, “What Trump’s Aluminum and Steel Tariffs Will Mean, in Six Charts” 

 

From Our Guest

 

Matthew P. Goodman and Allison J. Smith, “American Views on Economic Leadership,” CFR.org

 

Matthew P. Goodman and Allison J. Smith, “How Countries Stack Up on Trump's Reciprocal Tariffs,” CFR.org

 

Read More

 

Timothy Aeppel, “Tariffs May Mean More U.S. Steel Jobs. Will There Be Workers to Fill Them?,” Reuters


Megan Cerullo, “Small Business Owners Push for Exemptions From Trump’s Tariffs,” CBS News

Trade

Global trade tensions are boiling over and questions about the United States’ economic future are at the center of the debate. As trade experts question what comes next, it’s important to analyze how the United States got to this point. How have the current administration’s trade policies of today reshaped the global order of tomorrow?

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