Syracuse Sun

Reporters seeking expert commentary on tariffs can find insights from Syracuse University faculty. Ellen James Mbuqe, executive director of media relations, is available for arranging interviews.

Terence Lau, Dean of the College of Law at Syracuse University and former Director for Ford's Association of Southeast Asian Nations Government Affairs, commented on the auto industry: "The global automotive industry works best in free markets, free of market distortions such as tariff and non-tariff barriers. Free markets have led to greater consumer choice and lower prices. The industry requires long lead times to adjust to changes in tariff policy. An immediate 25% tariff on automotive parts and finished vehicles from Canada and Mexico will introduce a great deal of uncertainty into the supply chain, and ultimately will lead to higher vehicle prices until the market can adjust."

Andrew Cohen, a history professor at Syracuse University's Maxwell School and author of "Contraband: Smuggling and the Birth of the American Century," discussed historical aspects: “The US has long used tariffs to collect revenue, aid manufacturing, and exert power. But I can’t think of a trade war initiated so randomly in a time of peace and prosperity.” He added that early 20th-century Americans replaced tariffs with income taxes because they generated insufficient revenue for military expenses. "Reformers also viewed the tariff as a source of corruption," he noted.

Ryan Monarch, an assistant professor at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School specializing in international trade, provided economic insights during an interview with Newsweek: “Ryan Monarch... told Newsweek prices will be driven up not only by the tariffs themselves but also by increased costs with complying with customs rules." He explained that both sellers preparing paperwork and U.S. customs workers enforcing policies would face additional costs.

Patrick Penfield from Whitman School of Management highlighted supply chain impacts: "We import a lot of base ingredients from China that's used in various industries. So you're talking pharmaceutical, the toy industry, electronics. So almost every industry in the United States would be impacted."

For further information or interviews with these experts on tariffs' effects across different sectors, contact Ellen James Mbuqe.