Earlier this month, the Trump administration gave America some excellent news. It lowered tariffs from 25% to 15% on some aluminum, steel, and copper, plus products made from them. The proclamation cited the importance of these goods to national security and American manufacturing.This move deserves praise because, as we’ve seen, tariffs raise costs by taxing imported items that American businesses need for their operations and sales. A tariff is a tax on an import. When that tax hits steel, copper, or other key goods, the price does not stay at the port. It necessarily moves through the whole economy, reaching factories, job sites, stores, and then kitchen tables.Let’s celebrate this move and keep pushing for more. Lower tariffs can help American businesses build, hire, and sell at lower costs. They can also help families regain some of the buying power they have lost. That point matters most in one place where families especially feel the squeeze each day: housing.
SECTION 232 TARIFFS ON MEDICAL DEVICES ARE A BLUNT INSTRUMENT FOR A PRECISION INDUSTRY
The housing market now puts the American dream out of reach for far too many people. The Wall Street Journal reported in 2024 that the income needed to afford a home in the U.S. had risen 80% since January 2020. Fast Company reported a similar rise in 2025. The National Association of Home Builders found that 70% of American households cannot afford a $400,000 home.
