We have applauded President Trump‘s willingness to call out other countries that tariff us to the hilt while we allow their products to flow into ours.
We think it is a mistake for the administration to tariff everyone all at once, but we do admire that they’re at least taking a fight to this issue to even the playing field. Tariffs can be a tool to further American interests. The president leveraged tariffs effectively with Mexico to have them beef up its immigration security and for other countries to take back many illegal aliens who poured over the border.
But tariffs cannot be used for personal or political reasons. It appears that’s what President Trump is doing by imposing a 50% tariff on Brazil, only because that nation is bringing charges against its former president Jair Bolsonaro, a friend of Trump.
Now let’s be clear: we believe that the socialist regime in Brazil is corrupt. We do not believe that it is beyond them to have trumped up these charges against populist Bolsonaro to keep him from running against them in the future. It’s eerily similar to the type of lawfare that was used in this country against Trump.
Trump has every right to take to the bully pulpit and to excoriate Brazil for its tactics. But tariffs should only be used for matters involving the broad national interest.
The use of tariffs in this case smacks of political interference. It’s fine to try to get the world to pressure Brazil and other nations, such as Romania, from throwing the political opposition off the ballot, but what would happen if we start imposing tariffs for those countries that disagree with us on the abortion issue, energy policies, or transgender issues?
There is a way to debate those controversial matters, but using tariffs is not one of them.