Trump’s New Economic War on American Homebuilders and Homeowners

President Trump has announced that he is imposing 20% tariffs on lumber imported from Canada, and is threatening tariffs on imported aluminum.  Lumber and aluminum are used in the framing of new houses.  Making it more costly to build houses in America will benefit plutocratic rent-seeking parasites in the domestic lumber and aluminum industries, but those benefits will come at the expense of homebuilders and home buyers who will endure higher costs and prices.  Then of course Canada may well retaliate with tariffs on some American goods, which will harm even more Americans.

As a “builder and developer,” I wonder if President Trump really thinks it is a good idea to force up the cost of building materials with tariffs.  Is that how he became a billionaire — by getting the government to increase his costs of doing business? Are his sons involved in building any more golf course housing developments?  If so, are they happy that their father is increasing their building costs?

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