In today’s global economy, one word is causing a lot of debate: tariffs. A tariff is a tax added to goods that are imported from another country. The idea is that by making foreign goods more expensive, people will buy more products made domestically. But lately, tariffs have made headlines for more complicated reasons — especially under the decisions made by President Donald Trump.
Trump brought tariffs back into focus during his first presidency and even into his return in 2025. His goal? To make U.S. products stronger in international markets by forcing other countries to lower their tariffs, too.
“Tariffs are increasing in the U.S. so that [the administration] can scare the other countries, so that U.S. products can be more available,” Aravind Vinnakota said.
While the intention might be to help the U.S. economy, many people are worried about the impact. Tariffs often lead to higher prices for goods such as makeup or clothing, which affects regular people’s everyday life due to the increased spendings on everyday-life goods.
“I’ve noticed some online stores having tariff announcements and even raising their prices by $8 on some products,” Savio Trusty said.
Economists and citizens are now wondering if these tariffs will stay long term, or if they’re just a political scare tactic. While some think they could lead to new trade deals, others see them as risky and damaging. With many American families already feeling the pressure of inflation, higher prices due to tariffs could make things even harder.
“In this scenario it’s buyers [who are more affected] because they tariff the producers. All they have to do is pass down that burden to consumers,” Daniel Cho said.
At the end of the day, tariffs might sound like a simple fix — but in reality, they come with long-term consequences. Whether they help the U.S. win trade deals or just make everyday life more expensive, only time will tell how big of an effect these economic choices will have.
by JACOB CASETTA & MATVEY YAZKOV
