Nothing embodies Trump's presidential campaign in 2016 more than the bright red caps stitched with the battle cry "Make America Great Again (MAGA)." At the time, the iconic mesh apparel was proudly worn by Trump supporters to reclaim what they saw as glory lost to a changing economy.
But Trump might let them down, because his taxes on Chinese imports are making America Costly, instead of Great.
Many of these MAGA hats were made in China, and will soon be subject to tariffs that Trump has levied, along with a bunch of imported goods from China worth 200 billion U.S. dollars.
They include hats, handbags, food, agricultural products, and — fireworks. A whopping 99 percent of fireworks in the U.S. come from China. Yes, the ones that Americans set off on the Fourth of July, a day of patriotism filled with beer, barbecue, and country music.
U.S. President Donald Trump took to his campaign trail the slogan “Make America Great Again.”
The latest round of tariffs, if it goes into effect, will inflict even greater pain on Americans, from consumers to businesses. Classic domestic brands are already suffering from the consequences.
Let's take a look at a product that can't get any more American:
A can of beer.
Back in March, Trump announced that he was going to impose a 10-percent tariff on aluminum, making it more expensive to produce the cans, which are made from the light metal.
The beverage can was first sold in the U.S. state of Virginia. Tin was used at first, but the Hawaii Brewing Company introduced the all-aluminum can in 1958, partly because the lighter metal reduced transport costs. The iconic tab used to pop the top of the can made its debut in the 1960s, and the rest is history.
Pete Coors, chairman of the famous brewer of Coors and Miller Lite, wrote an op-ed in May attacking Trump for raising tariffs on aluminum, saying that the import tax will have consumers seeing higher prices "at the checkout line."
The Beer Institute, which represents U.S. brewers, even said that tariffs on imported aluminum will cost the domestic beer industry over 350 million U.S. dollars a year.
Trump himself downs 12 cans of another iconic American drink, Diet Coke, each day.
Trump himself downs 12 cans of another iconic American drink, Diet Coke, each day. A Coke can uses aluminum as well, but the wealthy real estate mogul won’t cry over a few cents more.
With American brands and products taking a beating from Trump's tariffs, is the U.S. president really Making America Great Again, or just Making America Costly Again?
