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Trump’s trade war with China leaves students in bind
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The tariffs set by the Trump administration on China’s goods in March have left potential for negative impact on consumers in the community. Even though the state of the economy appears to be a mildly distant matter for students, the trade war can drive up the prices of goods including electronics. For students in San Gabriel, the tariffs only mean bad news.
The effects of the tariffs have already rippled through to the school. The Environmental Club was unable to recycle colored paper for two weeks because according to the Active Recycling center in Alhambra, China stopped buying it from the United States. Consequently, club members had to toss the paper into the trash. Eventually, the skirmish between the U.S. and China may impact students more deeply. U.S. tariffs on China’s electronic products.
The tariffs placed on electronic goods on China can have negative implications on students as well. The prices of popular imports such as laptops, smartphones and desktop computers are projected to increase. In this day and age, these products are necessities for daily life, especially in college. The financial background of many students attending San Gabriel is below the nation’s average, leaving them prone to the consequences of a price hike on consumer products.
Trump’s reasoning for initiating this conflict with China began with concerns for the protection of intellectual property rights and the security of U.S. intel. Sanctions placed on products from Chinese companies such as Huawei, ZTE, and potentially Lenovo due to their affiliations with the Chinese government will leave less affordable options for students to purchase quality electronics, especially considering that popular domestic brands such as Apple and Microsoft price their electronic products at a premium.
While it is understandable that intellectual property rights need to be protected, concerns for the consumer should be considered as well. Students may increasingly find themselves in a bind to find affordable electronics for school if this trade war continues.
