Explainers  

Unlocked: How do tariffs work and what are the impacts?

stacks of shipping containers on a boat docked in a port

President Trump ran on the idea of imposing wide-ranging trade tariffs, and immediately upon taking office announced his first tariff plan.

Covering tariffs is complicated – what tariffs have been enacted and for how long, which are being contested and how, what are the likely short and long term effects of the tariffs?

On January 28, 2025, The Journalist’s Resource and Econofact hosted a webinar featuring two trade economists and an NPR producer whose reporting teams have covered tariffs.

Clark Merrefield, senior editor for economics and legal systems at The Journalist’s Resource co-moderated the panel discussion with Michael Klein, the William L. Clayton Professor of International Economic Affairs at Tufts and founder and executive editor of Econofact.

The panelists were:

Watch the recording

Unlocked logo
Read the tips at The Journalist's Resource

Four Tips to Understand Tariffs from The Journalist’s Resource

  1. Know the history of U.S. tariffs.
  2. Know who pays for tariffs in the short and long run.
  3. Know the price and employment effects of tariffs.
  4. Know that there are stories to be told about how businesses ‘contort themselves’ to get around tariffs.

Publications & Resources

See More