Tariffs are to level the playing field, reduce deficits and discourage American companies from deserting this country. And yes, they will work.
They never work. That is why countries use them so often when they can get away with it.
I work for an American manufacturer that does 100% of our manufacturing in the US. We have had an impossible time breaking into the India market due to the very high tariffs imposed on any product that is not manufactured there and the only way around it would be to build a manufacturing plant in India.
You take the mantra hook, line, and sinker. Tariffs only level the playing field in the sense that you’ve just done something as stupid as the other guy.
Arguing about tariffs is a sort of tempest in a teapot. Tariffs do NOTHING to address the REAL cause of business fleeing the country. You need to wrap your head around that.