In listening to the economic proposals coming from the presidential candidates, one thing stands out to me and I believe it needs clarification. Tariffs are not a fee paid by the manufacturing country or business. They are taxes/fees levied against the importer of those goods.

In 2019, my wife and I were building a new home. We opted to build “off-grid” for a number of reasons. For energy storage, we decided on nickel/iron batteries, a type of battery no longer being manufactured in the U.S. I found a producer in China that could provide the batteries we wanted for just under $10,000, including shipping; that was until the tariff hit. In keeping with a new tariff policy instituted by our last president, we had to write a check to the United States government for nearly $2,000 for the privilege of importing our batteries. This tariff was not paid by China, or the Chinese manufacturer, it was paid by me.

Currently, Walmart imports 60% of what it sells in its U.S. stores from China. If the proposal to put a 60% tariff on goods imported from China, as suggested by one of the presidential candidates, were to be implemented, we would see a shocking increase in consumer pricing. Inflation would hit double digits. Our bill at checkout at Walmart would increase by 50%. Something to consider.

Patrick Cosgrove
Union