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The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board has strongly condemned former President Donald Trump’s latest round of tariffs, calling it “the dumbest trade war in history.”
In a sharply worded op-ed published Saturday, the board outlined what it described as the fundamental flaws in Trump’s approach, arguing that it would do more harm than good to the U.S. economy.
Trump announced on Saturday that he had signed off on new tariffs targeting Canada, Mexico, and China. The decision has sparked concerns about escalating trade tensions and potential economic fallout.
“Tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico, and China are SIGNED!” White House spokesperson Harrison Fields posted on X. “This bold move holds these countries accountable for stopping illegal immigration and the flow of dangerous drugs like fentanyl.”
However, The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board dismissed this reasoning, particularly in the case of Canada and Mexico. “Leaving China aside, Mr. Trump’s justification for this economic assault on the neighbors makes no sense,” the op-ed stated.
The board questioned whether imposing tariffs would have any meaningful impact on the illegal drug trade, arguing that the issue is far more complex than Trump suggests.
“White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt says they’ve ‘enabled illegal drugs to pour into America.’ But drugs have flowed into the U.S. for decades, and will continue to do so as long as Americans keep using them,” the op-ed read. “Neither country can stop it.”
The editorial also criticized the broader economic logic behind Trump’s tariff strategy, warning that it could backfire by increasing costs for American consumers and businesses.
“Mr. Trump sometimes sounds as if the U.S. shouldn’t import anything at all, that America can be a perfectly closed economy making everything at home,” the board wrote.
“This is called autarky, and it isn’t the world we live in, or one that we should want to live in, as Mr. Trump may soon find out.”
The editorial cited the U.S. auto industry as a prime example of how integrated North American supply chains are, making Trump’s tariff plan particularly risky.
“Take the U.S. auto industry, which is really a North American industry because supply chains in the three countries are highly integrated,” the op-ed continued. “In 2024, Canada supplied almost 13% of U.S. imports of auto parts and Mexico nearly 42%.
Industry experts say a vehicle made on the continent goes back and forth across borders a half dozen times or more, as companies source components and add value in the most cost-effective ways.”
“And everyone benefits.”
Beyond automobiles, the board warned that Trump’s tariffs could also hurt American farmers, energy producers, and manufacturers who rely on cross-border trade.
“None of this is supposed to happen under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement that Mr. Trump negotiated and signed in his first term,” the op-ed pointed out. “The U.S. willingness to ignore its treaty obligations, even with friends, won’t make other countries eager to do deals.”
The editorial speculated that Trump may use the tariffs as a bargaining tactic, hoping to extract minor concessions before backing down. However, if the trade war drags on, it could have lasting economic consequences.
“Maybe Mr. Trump will claim victory and pull back if he wins some token concessions,” the board wrote. “But if a North American trade war persists, it will qualify as one of the dumbest in history.”
