"Made in USA Great Again"? Potential implications of President Trump’s trade war and tariffs on the global garment industry
2025, 2025, No. 4
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Abstract
Donald Trump, newly re-elected president of the United States of America, has announced historically high tariffs on imports in April 2025. While the president aims to provide cheaper products to Americans and wants to boost local manufacturing, the USA is heavily reliant on garment and shoe imports, mostly from China and the European Union. The article explores the potential consequences of Donald Trump’s trade war on the global garment industry. While the topic has a critically time-sensitive nature due to the turbulent changes in economic policy directions with daily announcements, the conclusion of the study is that the tariffs will neither lead to more jobs nor make accessible local products for consumers in the USA. The proposed tariffs will likely make imports more expensive, hurting poorer consumers and developing countries that strongly rely on garment exports.
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