Source: Racket News
by Greg Collard
“There was the retaliatory chicken tax in 1964. West Germany placed tariffs on our poultry, so LBJ responded with a 25% tariff on light trucks. I don’t know anyone who questions Ronald Reagan’s free trade bonafides, yet he imposed a 45% tariff on imported motorcycles to protect Harley Davidson. Japanese bikes were overtaking the market. The motorcycle tariff, as it became known, expired in 1988. I should probably be thankful for that since I ride a Yamaha. My first experience dealing with tariffs as a journalist was in 2002. President George W. Bush imposed tariffs on steel because countries were ‘dumping’ steel in the U.S. at below-market prices. Steel companies were filing bankruptcy and laying off workers. It seemed so obvious that something needed to be done. But it’s a little more complicated. I didn’t realize at the time that lots of people and companies really don’t care where their shit comes from.” (04/08/25)
https://www.racket.news/p/timeline-a-recent-history-of-tariffs