Before Trump: The long US history of tariff wars with Canada and the world
Feb 04, 2025
In history, the US has had many fights over tariffs, or taxes on imported goods. These fights can hurt trade with other countries.
In the 1930s, the US passed a law to raise taxes on goods from other countries. Other countries did the same thing back, hurting US businesses.
In the 1960s, Europe raised taxes on US chicken to protect their own farmers. The US fought back with taxes on European products like brandy.
In the 1980s, the US and Canada fought over the price of lumber. The US said Canada was giving unfair help to its lumber industry.
In the 1990s, the US and Europe fought over bananas from Latin America. The US didn't like that Europe was helping its own farmers.
In 2002, the US put taxes on steel from other countries. Europe said they would put taxes on US products like oranges.
In 2018, President Trump raised taxes on products from China. China did the same to US products like soybeans.
These fights can make it harder for businesses to sell their goods to other countries. They can lead to higher prices for consumers. It's important for countries to work together to find solutions that don't hurt everyone.