stock here: Epiphany of yesterday
🎯 Tariffs Are Indirect Taxes on Citizens
While tariffs are technically taxes on imported goods, the economic reality is that the cost is almost always passed on to consumers in the form of higher prices. So when one country imposes a tariff:
Importers pay the tariff at the border.
They then raise the price of those goods to maintain profit margins.
You, the consumer, end up paying more at the store — not the foreign company being targeted.
🌐 Mutual Tariffs = Mutual Citizen Punishment
When two countries engage in tit-for-tat tariffs (say, U.S. vs. China or EU vs. UK), it becomes a:
Political tool (to protect local industries or retaliate).
Economic burden (consumers pay more, businesses lose access to cheaper inputs).
Distraction from domestic issues — politicians can say “We’re being tough on China” even while the price of electronics or tools rises locally.
So while tariffs are presented as a foreign punishment, the effects are domestic and immediate:
Who Pays? How They Pay
Consumers Higher retail prices
Importers Upfront duties (later passed on)
Exporters (indirectly) Through reduced market access
Workers In some sectors, via layoffs or reduced hours
📊 Example: U.S. Tariffs on Washing Machines (2018)
The Trump administration imposed a tariff on imported washing machines.
Prices of all washing machines (including U.S.-made) went up ~$86 on average.
Fewer choices, higher prices — citizens bore the cost.
🧠 Bottom Line
Yes, mutual tariffs are a form of indirect taxation, often justified as economic protectionism or leverage — but they disproportionately hurt the people, not the governments. It’s taxation disguised as patriotism.