Tariff Wars Threaten Global Trade Cooperation, Warn Economists
Import tariffs can be good for a country with market power because they can improve trade terms. But this can hurt trading partners. Countries often cooperate on tariffs through the World Trade Organization (WTO). The WTO lets countries set tariffs below a certain level. When countries have room to set tariffs higher, they tend to do so alone. But when they have less room, they cooperate more.