American consumers who buy goods from China — the end users — are the ones paying these "very massive" tariffs. Even if China subsidizes the goods they buy, they are paying more than they would otherwise.
Also paying the taxes are Americans who buy and make products that contain Chinese raw materials. Contrary to Trump's comment that "you don't have to pay" if you move your operation to the US, American manufacturers have been among those hit hardest by tariffs against steel and aluminum.
Trump claimed that because the $16 billion is less than the anticipated revenue from the punitive tariffs he put in place, the Chinese are actually subsidizing our farmers. But again, this ignores what tariffs actually do — especially large, shock tariffs like these, designed not for revenue but to impede commerce and punish bad behavior. Ultimately, tariffs not only force domestic consumers to pay more for Chinese goods, but they also limit consumer choice. As in any market, a reduction in competition means higher prices for consumers.
tariffs do not, as Trump has claimed, "
make our Country richer." They do not force China to pay our bills. They do not even reduce trade deficits (not that they matter) as the rising trade deficit of the Trump era demonstrates.
If tariffs were a such a great benefit to Americans, or even just a harmless policy, the stock market would not be down 1,000 points this month on fears that there will be no eventual resolution of this standoff with China. And Trump would not be bailing out farmers, who are surely the most eager to see these tariffs come to an end.