Editorial: Trump's economic plans would be disastrous for Washington, nation

A higher cost of living is top of mind for many Americans in the election between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. The candidates present vastly different economic visions. But one plan is superior to the other — particularly for Washington state.

This editorial board has already wholeheartedly endorsed Harris for president. On the economy, she casts an "opportunity" agenda that includes tax credits for parents and new subsidies to help Americans buy homes or start new businesses, and reduces income inequality by allowing tax breaks for the richest among us to expire.

Trump, meanwhile, is planning to increase costs on all Americans by raising tariffs and implementing the "largest deportation operation in history" involving millions of people he claims are living in the country illegally. Both policies are not only cruel but unwise economically.

Voters willing to peel away Trump's bluster and bravado will find a cautionary tale at the core of Trump's plans — one that played out in our state's backyard during his first term. His plan to enact tariffs on imported goods will burden Americans, damage the U.S. economy and particularly harm Washington state.

Exhibit A, in this case, stands for Apples.

A nation-leading 5 billion pounds of Red Delicious, Cosmic Crisp and some 30 other varieties of the fruit are grown in Washington, supporting tens of thousands of jobs and driving $2 billion in sales. But in Trump's first term, his installation of tariffs spurred other countries to jack up their own tariffs in response. Apple exports in Washington plummeted by 39% by the end of Trump's term, setting the industry's international sales back nearly 20 years.

Trump, known to call himself "tariff man," isn't limiting his scope this time. He used to say the goal was to reduce America's trade deficit (it didn't work). Now, he's doubling down again. Should Trump's "universal" tariff be successfully implemented — a 10% or even 20% levy on all goods entering America — inflation is likely to follow. A letter from 23 Nobel laureate economists said Trump's economic plans would bring about "higher prices, larger deficits, and greater inequality." Americans should expect to pay around $2,000 more a year, according to The Economist.

What's unclear is how much other nations would retaliate. Which brings us back to our Washington apples. They will be blocked from markets around the world as other nations raise tariffs against the United States.

Case in point: India had been a $120 million market for Washington apples, and a buyer of millions more in goods from Washington — until Trump put tariffs on steel and aluminum and the country retaliated against apples. Farmers in Washington took a massive hit. The Indian market reopened only after direct negotiations forged by Washington Sen. Maria Cantwell with the prime minister of India.

Trump's concurrent plans to deport migrant workers will also have a chilling effect on the economy. The highest percentage of undocumented workers in Washington, estimated at 29,000 by the Migration Policy Institute, work in agriculture — some helping harvest all those apples.

Tariffs can, and have, been used as a policy tool to protect vital industries and interests of the United States. The Biden administration has levied strategic tariffs against China, for instance, to help enhance American manufacturing in the clean energy sector. Their use is a policy scalpel, rather than the sledgehammer to global trade Trump is planning.

If there is a universal truth to Trump's political career, it is this: He's about to tell a lie when he moves his lips. (Remember how Mexico was going to pay for the wall?) But during his four years as president, he revealed his aspirations. We've seen this movie before. Another installment of exponentially more of the same is bad for Washington, and the nation at large. No matter where you live, vote for Harris.