1. United States
2. La.
3. Letter

The Trump administration's sweeping tariffs on imports from allies and rivals alike are severely disrupting global markets and trade flows. These punitive duties, as high as 46% on goods from major trading partners like China and the European Union, risk sparking a destructive trade war that could cripple economic growth worldwide. Retaliatory tariffs from other nations will further escalate tensions and provoke a vicious cycle harming American companies, workers, and consumers through higher costs and reduced exports. While concerns over trade imbalances may be valid, unilaterally imposing such extreme tariffs is an overreach that will destabilize the global economy. I urge the administration to reverse course on these counterproductive tariffs before they inflict deeper, long-lasting damage. Reasoned negotiations, not aggressive unilateral actions, are needed to address trade issues through good-faith diplomacy that respects America's strategic alliances and leadership role in the international economic order. Economic prosperity depends on freely flowing global trade and investment, not reckless protectionism that jeopardizes American jobs and businesses while alienating key partners. For the nation's economic health, these destructive tariffs should be cancelled to prevent a devastating trade war.