New York City residents have criticized the U.S. government's tariff policies, with many arguing that the measures will only increase costs for American citizens and harm the nation's economy.
It has been a month since the U.S. "reciprocal tariff" storm began on April 2. The sweeping tariffs have reshaped the nation's economy, with negative effects being felt across multiple sectors.
In an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Americans from various professions and age groups in New York expressed their concerns about the damage caused by the current tariff policies, highlighting the fragile domestic economy and the growing erosion of trust between the U.S. and its trade partners.
"It's infuriating. I mean, here we have gone from a super strong economy to one that is on the brink of disaster, and it's a totally self-inflicted wound. We don't need to be in this situation, but we're in this situation now, where our trading partners think we're enemies. And for no reason, we were in this very stable economic position, and now we're in a precarious, dangerous one. It's insane. It's very upsetting," said teacher Kateleen Mcdougal.
"I think there's a lot of damage that's being created. We have had a lot of incredible partnerships with other countries, where goods go back and forth very easily, like with Mexico and Canada. And I think it's going to cripple our economy," said Josh Morgan, a marketing sales associate.
Retiree Joseph Porter expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of the tariff policies, questioning their ability to boost domestic industry.
"I think Trump should forget these tariffs, because he's doing it to create business in the United States, but it's not going to create business in the United States," he said.
The hiking of tariffs has driven up the cost of living, putting a strain on American households and affecting their daily expenses.
"It's showing up in the grocery stores. The prices have gone up. It's quite ridiculous, because I know during Christmas time, everything is going to be very expensive," said Rita Charris, who works in sales.
"I don't buy the things that I assume are most affected, which are vehicles and higher-priced stuff. I try not to consume that much, so I don't really buy a lot of items other than daily necessities," said Christian Douglas, a salesman.
"Some friends of mine -- they have small companies that have been affected by the tariffs," noted George Rathford, who manages a hardware store.
"All tariffs are going to do is raise prices, and I mean, any businesses that are created in the United States will also raise prices, because that's why we buy from overseas -- because it costs less to buy from overseas," added Porter.
New York residents criticize U.S. tariff policies as self-harming
