The garment industry is an interesting one to make a cost argument about.
It produces an immense amount of ecological damage and human suffering to support prices so low that even poor people have way more clothing than they need.
The garment industry in Southeast Asia has some of the worst working conditions in the world, comparable without cynicism to modern day slavery.
Of all the things that I would like to see taxed, the garment industry is absolutely one.
Yes, it would be worth it to pay more per item of clothing if it was created by someone with human rights. Super worth it. Please tax the likes of Vietnam and kill fast fashion brands like Shien. The world would be 100% better.
In general I think these tariffs are terrible but taking the side of fast fashion is pretty much always morally wrong.
> In general I think these tariffs are terrible but taking the side of fast fashion is pretty much always morally wrong.
I'm not taking the side of fast fashion: I'm saying that US people would potentially spend less in aggregate when all items are suddenly more expensive, which can have domestic economic effects. Especially with the suddenness of all this (the day after which Trump went golfing).
If you want to deal with the specific issue of working conditions, then (e.g.) a treaty mandating working conditions (with international monitoring?) could be a better idea, with violations imposing tariffs for violations after a transition period so changes have time to be implemented.
It produces an immense amount of ecological damage and human suffering to support prices so low that even poor people have way more clothing than they need.
The garment industry in Southeast Asia has some of the worst working conditions in the world, comparable without cynicism to modern day slavery.
Of all the things that I would like to see taxed, the garment industry is absolutely one.
Yes, it would be worth it to pay more per item of clothing if it was created by someone with human rights. Super worth it. Please tax the likes of Vietnam and kill fast fashion brands like Shien. The world would be 100% better.
In general I think these tariffs are terrible but taking the side of fast fashion is pretty much always morally wrong.