I doubt most people would say cheap imports have led to superior products. But they are really cheap.
Raising imports doesn't create a barrier to competition except for competition from cheap third world labor. The American market is big enough to generate plenty of competition to drive product innovation and lower prices.
And those import tariffs worked well for this country for it's first 180 years. You didn't see a lack of competition then did you?
Yea. Tariffs kept Harley Davidson alive. And they still make a low quality product based on an almost century old design.