How Tariffs Could Boost the US Economy and Fix the Trade Imbalance With China

ADTariffs on foreign partners played a big role in China’s economic transformation and could be a big factor in the U.S. recovery.A cargo ship sails into the port in Qingdao, in eastern Shandong Province, China, on Oct. 13, 2025. AFP via Getty Images12/4/2025|Updated: 12/4/2025CommentaryThe common understanding of tariffs is that they are bad for trade. That can be true, but not always. They certainly helped China develop in a number of ways.James Gorrie is the author of the 2013 book “The China Crisis” and discusses current events and China on his YouTube Podcast, The Banana Republican. Author’s Selected Articles