2 verifications about tariffs tariffs ×
“United States automakers were sheltered by tariffs but were not made more competitive relative to Japanese automakers.”
The core point holds: trade protection shielded U.S. automakers from Japanese competition without closing the competitiveness gap. The best evidence shows short-term gains in prices, output, and profits, but not lasting relative improvements in productivity or market position. The main caveat is that the key 1980s policy was a voluntary export restraint/quota rather than a standard tariff.
“A Supreme Court ruling on Trump's tariffs requires that consumers receive refunds for higher prices paid due to the tariffs.”
This claim is false. The Supreme Court ruled that IEEPA did not authorize Trump's tariffs, but it did not address refunds at all—it remanded those questions to the Court of International Trade. Any potential refund claims would be filed by importers through customs processes, not paid directly to consumers. There is no legal requirement that consumers receive refunds for higher prices. Some companies like FedEx have voluntarily pledged to pass refunds through, but that is a business decision, not a court mandate.