President Donald Trump’s tariffs on China, Canada, and Mexico are presented by the president and his boosters as a boon to American businesses. If products from China are more expensive, the argument goes, then people will instead buy from counterparts based in the US.

Since Chinese goods are currently charged with an average rate of 10 percent and most tariffs on Canada and Mexico are near zero, Trump’s decree would have imposed higher levies against them than against China,

President Trump announced steep new tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico, and China on Saturday. The executive order mandates a 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico and an additional 10% levy on goods from China.