The U.S. unfairly implemented tariffs on imports from China (10%), Mexico, and Canada (25%), causing low-income American families and workers to struggle financially in the construction/housing, food, and electricity sectors. These economic measures cannot be reconciled with the Jesuit qualities of a Graduate at Graduation.
Regarding construction, tariffs on lumber and building materials from Canada will raise the cost of construction and housing.
Foods and goods imported from other countries, like Mexico, make fundamental sustenance like avocados, fruits, and vegetables even more expensive than before.
Affording food for low-income families is already difficult, but with tariffs on goods, feeding your family has become even more difficult.
Canada supplies energy-related products to particular states in the U.S., such as New York, Michigan, and Minnesota, making such states pay $100 more per month in electricity bills compared to previously paid ones.
These tariffs on essential goods and electricity harm low-income families and don’t align with Brophy’s Grad@Grad ideals of being religious, committed to justice, or open to growth.
There are certain ideals in the Catholic church, like helping the poor and an emphasis on Mercy & Service, even without being asked. Forcing these taxes on people who can’t afford such increases is, therefore, a disservice to humans.
Rather than implementing such tariffs, an “[a]rguably more moral, thoughtful Christian perspective would want to address deeper rooted problems,” said Dr. Tom Donlan, a Brophy teacher in the Religious Studies Department.
We are supposed to advocate for the marginalized and working people to create a more just world, but making the impoverished and low-income more marginalized is not caring for the oppressed.
For example, wealthy individuals can absorb these price increases, but low-income families spend much of their income on necessities. This makes the tariffs an unfair economic system, widening the gap between rich and poor.
“If certain trade policies have the net effect of enriching the rich more and making the struggles of the poor even more challenging, then I think Catholics should feel confident in rejecting those policies and calling them out for being unjust or detrimental to the poor,” said Dr. Donlan.
These policies are driven by an “America First” economic nationalism, prioritizing U.S. dominance over negotiation between countries to have fair and beneficial trade. Instead of having open dialogue, these tariffs were implemented as a pressure tactic, straining relationships with neighboring countries rather than having mutual solutions.