Finance & economics | Free exchange

Do tariffs raise inflation?

Usually. But the bigger problem is that they harm economic growth and innovation

A ping pong game with a container instead of a ball.
Illustration: Álvaro Bernis

Mountain-naming turned out to be a curiously high priority for Donald Trump. Mere hours after his inauguration, the president signed an executive order to change the name of America’s highest peak from Denali, of indigenous Alaskan origin, back to Mount McKinley, as it was officially known until Barack Obama intervened in 2015. The rechristening reflects more than just the usual culture-war ping-pong. Like Mr Trump, William McKinley was a “tariff man”. As a congressman and later president, he swung America toward protectionism in the late 19th century. “President McKinley made our country very rich through tariffs and through talent,” said Mr Trump in his inaugural address.

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This article appeared in the Finance & economics section of the print edition under the headline “Do tariffs raise inflation?”

From the January 25th 2025 edition

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