Will Trump’s tariffs help U.S. workers? It could be a wash

PBS

A decade ago, Whirlpool controlled about half of the domestic washing machine market. But when things started going downhill, the company blamed unfair competition from foreign companies. In January, President Trump announced a big new tax on foreign washers. What does it mean for consumers and American workers? Special correspondent Catherine Rampell, a Washington Post columnist, reports.

Chad Bown:

Unfair can either mean subsidized, so the companies are getting direct funding from the government that you’re not supposed to do under the international rules, or it can mean that the companies are selling their washing machines in this case at a price in the U.S. market that’s somehow defined as too low, lower than their cost of production, or maybe lower than the prices that they’re charging for the same washing machines back at home.

John Taylor:

We do not dump our washing machines in the United States.

John Taylor:

We’re the first to use steam technology in washing machines.

Chad Bown:

It’s very normal and completely legal. It may be, in fact, evidence that the company is just selling a product that consumers really, really want to buy and that they are really good at producing it.

Chad Bown:

All you have to show is that the imports coming in from the world are coming in, and it’s hurting the domestic company.

Chad Bown:

But it means consumers are worse off, because they’re now paying more.

John Taylor:

We’re doing exactly what President Trump wants to do. We’re investing in America and we’re creating jobs.