Example Image
Civitas Outlook
Topic
Politics
Published on
Feb 14, 2025
Contributors
Charity-Joy Acchiardo
G. Dirk Mateer
Photo by Hermes Rivera (Unsplash)

Trump’s Tariff Gambit: How to Win a Trade War with Mexico and Canada

Contributors
Charity-Joy Acchiardo
Charity-Joy Acchiardo
Senior Fellow
Charity-Joy Acchiardo
G. Dirk Mateer
G. Dirk Mateer
Senior Fellow
G. Dirk Mateer
Summary
Trump's tariffs are part of a calculated strategy aimed at achieving specific policy goals.
Summary
Trump's tariffs are part of a calculated strategy aimed at achieving specific policy goals.
Listen to this article

The White House announced Feb. 1 that President Trump was implementing new 25 percent tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico, and an additional 10 percent tariff on imports from China. It is an unpopular move, as demonstrated by the earlier letter to Trump from former U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers and former Senate Banking Committee Chairman Phil Gramm (R-Texas), detailing how tariffs will be bad for America and the world, and signed by more than 1,000 economists.

But opposition from globalists and economists does not mean that tariffs might not benefit the U.S. To many, a trade war evokes images of economic chaos. But within the Trumpian playbook, it’s a calculated strategy aimed at achieving specific policy goals.

In Trump’s view, the unique economic relationship between the U.S. and its North American neighbors presents an opportunity for the U.S. to emerge victorious. The key lies in understanding the inherent vulnerabilities of Mexico and Canada, both of whom send more than 75 percent of their exports to the U.S. This dependence forms the bedrock of Trump’s strategy.  

Continue reading at The Hill

10:13
1x
10:13
More articles

The Family Policy Symposium

Politics
Dec 18, 2025

How States Can Help Families

Politics
Dec 18, 2025
View all

Join the newsletter

Receive new publications, news, and updates from the Civitas Institute.

Sign up
More on

Politics

Liberal Democracy Reexamined: Leo Strauss on Alexis de Tocqueville

This article explores Leo Strauss’s thoughts on Alexis de Tocqueville in his 1954 “Natural Right” course transcript.

Raúl Rodríguez
Politics
Feb 25, 2025
Long Distance Migration as a Two-Step Sorting Process: The Resettlement of Californians in Texas

Here we press the question of whether the well-documented stream of migrants relocating from California to Texas has been sufficient to alter the political complexion of the destination state.

James Gimpel, Daron Shaw
Politics
Feb 6, 2025
Who's That Knocking? A Study of the Strategic Choices Facing Large-Scale Grassroots Canvassing Efforts

Although there is a consensus that personalized forms of campaign outreach are more likely to be effective at either mobilizing or even persuading voters, there remains uncertainty about how campaigns should implement get-out-the-vote (GOTV) programs, especially at a truly expansive scale.

Grant Ferguson, James Gimpel, Mark Owens, Daron Shaw
Politics
Dec 13, 2024
National Poll from Civitas Institute: Trump Victory Driven by Voters Who Reject Status Quo

The poll asked 1,200 Americans an array of questions about how things are going in America.

Daron Shaw
Politics
Dec 11, 2024

The Three Whiskey Happy Hour

Steven Hayward brings you the Power Line Blog's perspective on the week's big headlines.

View all
** items
California job cuts will hurt Gavin Newsom’s White House run

California Governor Gavin Newsom loves to describe his state as “an economic powerhouse”. Yet he’s far more reluctant to acknowledge its dramatically worsening employment picture.

Politics
Dec 10, 2025
An anti-woke counter-revolution is sweeping through the media

From Hollywood to the newsroom, the hegemony of the ‘progressives’ is finally faltering.

Politics
Dec 1, 2025
California’s billionaire tax could bring down Gavin Newsom

Gavin Newsom’s run for the White House is going from bad to worse.

Politics
Nov 17, 2025
Mayors to Cities: Drop Dead

Far-left policies on policing, education, and taxation are pushing Los Angeles, Chicago, and others to the brink.

Politics
Nov 15, 2025

Kotkin: Non-Aligned Nations Navigating a Multipolar World

Politics
Aug 19, 2025
1:05

Wall Street Journal: Donald Trump Takes On the Conservative Judiciary

Politics
Jun 2, 2025
1:05

Trump’s Drug Pricing Plan: Consequences for Innovation and Patient Access

Politics
May 13, 2025
1:05

John Yoo: The DOJ Is Being ‘Tricky’ but They May Be Right

Politics
Mar 18, 2025
1:05

John Yoo: How Will Trump Try to ‘Redirect’ the Justice Department Toward ‘Public Order and Safety’?

Politics
Mar 14, 2025
1:05
No items found.
No items found.
The Family Policy Symposium

How should we approach the problems of family formation and fertility decline in America?

Politics
Dec 18, 2025
How States Can Help Families

When it comes to daily life, states can – and should – experiment with different approaches to centering families’ needs in public policy.

Patrick T. Brown
Politics
Dec 18, 2025
Family Policy Enthusiasts Get the Ecology Wrong

The American family is suffering from the wrong kind of help — the wolf niche is vacant, and the government is playing the role of zookeeper rather than wolf protector.

Catherine Ruth Pakaluk
Politics
Dec 18, 2025
Family First, Texas Strong

The Lone Star State's Family Future Depends on a Strong Economy and Positive Family Culture.

Brad Wilcox
Politics
Dec 18, 2025
No items found.