Chamber Of Commerce At War With White House

It’s not often that the Chamber of Commerce, a bastion of pro-business conservatism, goes to war with a Republican White House, but that’s happening amid President Trump’s tariff moves, which the Chamber says will result in higher costs of American goods overseas, hurting U.S. businesses and job losses. In a recent study, the Chamber concluded a global trade war may extract heavy consequences on American workers and consumers. Moreover, the president’s actions also threaten the current economic boom in the U.S.

It’s notable that the very people who voted for Trump in the 2016 election will be harmed by the president’s actions. Voters in several states went heavily for Trump because he promised to revitalize American businesses and bring jobs back to the Rust Belt and other hard-hit local economies.  The Huffington Post reports that of the 10 states that will suffer the most economically, 7 of them went red in 2016.

The potential for a trade war and all its repercussions are real and scary. Farming communities and states with large car industries are the most vulnerable in these trade wars. This is because “half of all U.S. manufacturing jobs depend on exports, and 1 in 3 acres on U.S. farms produce crops for the international market.” American manufacturing businesses that depend on steel will suffer under Trump’s 25% tariff on steel and the Chinese retaliatory tariff on soybeans will devastate American farmers. “Tariffs are beginning to take a toll on American businesses, workers, farmers, and consumers as overseas markets close to American-made products and prices increase here at home,” U.S. Chamber of Commerce President Thomas Donohue declared.

It’s not often that liberal commentators such as Paul Krugman agree with the conservative Chamber of Commerce and its boss Tom Donohue.