International trade has long been critical to improving economic prospects for people around the world. Resources, technologies and production capacities vary considerably from country-to-country. Trade makes it possible for buyers and sellers regardless of where they are to get what they need at the best possible price.

Yet, as long as there has been international trade, there have been protectionist impulses and policies to shield domestic producers from competition by making it much costlier for desired goods to be imported from another country.

Former president Donald Trump has long been committed to the idea that international trade has been a disaster for America, that other countries have taken advantage of Americans and that the solution is to produce more at home regardless of the cost.

As he tweeted back in 2018: “I am a Tariff Man. When people or countries come in to raid the great wealth of our Nation, I want them to pay for the privilege of doing so. It will always be the best way to max out our economic power. We are right now taking in $billions in Tariffs. MAKE AMERICA RICH AGAIN.”

Accordingly, when he was president, Trump abused his executive authority to impose tariffs on trumped up national security grounds. Retaliatory tariffs followed from around the world.

While Trump to this day touts the billions of dollars in taxes (that’s what tariffs are) raised as a result of his actions, the reality is that the trade war he sparked did little good for the American people. Numerous reports indicated the tariffs on net resulted in hits to GDP and translated to slightly lower incomes for Americans.

This is because tariffs force producers to, one way or another, spend a lot more getting the goods they need. This translates either to reduced production or higher prices, which in turn yield negative results.

Alas, Trump hasn’t backed down from his fondness for tariffs. And worse, still, President Joe Biden basically kept Trump’s tariffs in place.

According to the nonpartisan Tax Foundation, “We estimate the Trump-Biden tariffs will reduce long-run GDP by 0.2 percent, the capital stock by 0.1 percent, and employment by 142,000 full-time equivalent jobs.”

Without even taking the broader economic impacts into consideration, the Tax Foundation estimates that, “the $79 billion in higher tariffs amounts to an average annual tax increase on US households of $625.”

Overall, then, what we’re talking about is a true failure of policymaking by both Trump and Biden.

With Trump now taking on Vice President Kamala Harris, there’s a slight hope that Harris might take a better stance on trade.

Back in 2019 ahead of the Democratic primaries, she said in one debate, “I am not a protectionist Democrat. Look, we need to sell our stuff. And that means we need to sell it to people overseas. That means we need trade policies that allow that to happen.”

Yet she hasn’t outright rebuked the tariffs of Trump or Biden or said explicitly that she will actually take a different course.

We are hopeful that she comes out in favor of freer trade and against the destructive tariff policies of Trump and Biden.

In the event she wins, freer trade would be a net positive to look forward to. And even if she ends up losing to Trump, taking a pro-trade positiion now would signal to Democrats that such a position is indeed an acceptable position to take.

- Los Angeles Daily News