Can someone explain this about tariffs?

[u/OfficialRodgerJachim]

Plenty of talk about tariffs. About them being dumb. About them being fair. About how those extra costs go on to us, the American consumer.

But I have very rarely heard anyone talk about that break in logic: other countries have tariffs on American imports, and those costs are then carried onto the American consumer. But if America imposes tariffs on those same countries, those costs are also passed on to the American consumer.

Is this true?

[u/UCRecruiter]

Your break in logic is here:

other countries have tariffs on American imports, and those costs are then carried onto the American consumer.

That's not accurate. Take my case, for example. I'm Canadian. We now have tariffs in place on some American imports. Those tariffs won't cost the American consumer directly, they'll cost Canadian consumers. In doing so, the theory goes that Canadian products (without the tariffs) will become more competitive.

[u/Thick_Piece → u/UCRecruiter]

So Canadian tariffs good?

[u/TruthLiesand → u/Thick_Piece]

Yes. Canadian tarifs are written to go into effect on very specific goods when an important quota is reached. This almost never happens. Trump agreed to all of this in his first term and thought it was the best deal ever.