On April 2, a day President Trump calls ‘Liberation Day,’ he announced his new plan to place reciprocal tariffs on approximately 90 countries. Liberation from what you might ask? His goal is to fight back against the countries that have been taking advantage of U.S trade. Merely a week later, Trump announced that he would be removing the tariffs for at least 90 days on almost all of the countries he originally placed them on. 

  The reason for the unexpected pause in the tariff plan was due to the dozens of world leaders who knew it was in their best interest to make new deals with Trump rather than getting involved in a trade war. Thanks to the seemingly harsh tariffs that Trump placed on these countries, America is beginning to gain back economic equality with the rest of the world. Before Trump’s tariff plan, many countries were taxing us at extensive amounts while we got nothing in return. However, now that those countries are willing to make deals with Trump, we are likely going to see a more fair economic policy that could likely lead to the U.S becoming less dependent on other countries for energy and increasing in the sale of our own natural resources. Though not likely to admit it now, many Democrats have voiced support for a plan just like the one Trump has implemented. According to the Washington Times, influential Democrats such as Nancy Pelosi, Senate minority leader Charles E. Schumer and Socialist Bernie Sanders. But now that Trump is the one advocating for the tariffs, these Democrats have renounced all ties they’ve had to the plan.  

  As a businessman, Trump is well equipped to handle economics and ordeals such as tariffs. He’s spent nearly his entire life making deals inside and outside the country. In doing so he has made billions of dollars. He knew exactly how he wanted his plan to play out from the start. If the world leaders wanted to make a deal, he was ready to negotiate. If they opted to retaliate instead, they would receive higher tariffs in return. Either way, the U.S is aiming to bring more production into our own country rather than paying for cheaper products that use child labor and have poor working conditions. Shocking to most opposers of the tariff plan, only one country retaliated against Trump’s tariffs: China. By raising their tariffs on the U.S to 84%, China proved that they aren’t willing to make a deal with Trump. Not ready to be outdone, Trump then raised our tariffs on them to 125%. According to the U.S Department of Labor, China utilizes forms of forced labor and child labor to make many of the products that are then sold to the U.S at cheap prices such as automobile parts, electronics, and cotton garments. American businesses shouldn’t be paying into this system of oppression in China. With Trump’s tariffs, he is persuading manufacturers to move their production into America, where we can protect the laborers and their rights as well as prevent other countries from taking advantage of our businesses.