A new issue of The Takeaway explains how Tariffs cost consumers and cannot close budget gaps or trade deficits.
COLLEGE STATION, TX (May 2025) – A new issue of The Takeaway from the Mosbacher Institute at the Bush School of Government & Public Service outlines five key facts everyone should know about tariffs. While tariffs are often promoted as a way to boost American jobs and rebalance trade, the brief explains that tariffs act as taxes on consumers, increase costs for U.S. producers, and cannot realistically replace income tax revenue. The analysis also shows that high tariffs are more common in poor countries and attempts to bring back jobs through tariffs are likely to raise prices without delivering sustainable economic benefits.
You can read the full policy brief at “Five Things to Know About Tariffs.” The author, Dr. Raymond Robertson, is the director of the Mosbacher Institute at the Bush School of Government and Public Service and an expert in international and labor economics.
The Takeaway is a publication of the Mosbacher Institute for Trade, Economics, and Public Policy at the Bush School of Government & Public Service at Texas A&M University.
