Why Trump’s 45% tariff on Chinese goods is as unworkable as his border wall

To the editor: In his piece supporting Donald Trump’s tariff on Chinese imports, economist Professor Navarro’s disregard for facts is matched only by his disdain for long-standing treaty obligations. (“Trump’s 45% tariff on Chinese goods is perfectly calculated,” Opinion, July 21)

He complains “that China’s central bank keeps the yuan undervalued” through “blatant currency manipulation.” In fact, China spent more than $400 billion in the last year to prop up the yuan. If we impose tariffs that violate, or walk away from, our international treaty obligations China will surely retaliate and have every legal right to do so, hurting our own workers.

Building an illegal tariff wall won’t bring jobs back to the U.S. They’ll largely go somewhere else in the global supply chain, just as President Reagan’s tariffs on Japan were a boon to South Korea.

Rather than blaming foreigners, the best way to make America more competitive is to invest more in our schools and infrastructure.

David Loevinger, La Cañada Flintridge

The writer was a senior coordinator for China at the U.S. Treasury Department.

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