America First Trade Must Put American Companies First

(Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

A stronger America is only as good as its manufacturing base. That’s why the Trump Administration has introduced a bold, new economic agenda to improve the national supply chain since his return to office.

The Trump Administration recently launched investigations into unfair trading practices, signaling a new chapter in Trump’s America First trade agenda.

America is seeing constructive investments back into the economy, prioritizing policy that supports working-class citizens over competitors like China. President Trump knew that enough was enough, and he took action. Since then, China’s share of the American import market fell to its lowest level since the early 2000s.

Tariffs have had a net-positive impact on the economy and are designed to reduce the country’s dependence upon foreign adversaries. We’ve got a crown jewel consumer market, and under Trump, other countries are finally recognizing it. As they should be, they now have to pay a premium for not being the number one market in the world. In 2025 alone, we earned more than $194 billion in just tariff revenue, when accounting for the 2022-2024 average. (RELATED: American Small Business Owners, Manufactures Still Feeling The Squeeze From Trump’s Tariffs)

Yet, as we look at more than a year’s worth of tariffs on foreign imports, some American industries have been accidentally harmed in the process of seeking to grow their domestic production. Some well-meaning U.S.-based companies have been punished alongside international competitors, displacing American workers and increasing the cost of products made here in the states.

The entry fee we’ve placed on other countries shouldn’t come back to bite us, but tariffs have also helped fight against competition abroad. So what do we do?

Plenty of companies, despite being owned and operated by Americans, rely on imported components that are basically impossible to produce domestically. While our own companies suffer for relying on a complex supply chain, bad hombres like China gain the advantage by cheating the system. The issue is less about whether American companies import supplies or not, but more about whether rules are applied fairly. Now is the time for justice.

In an age of global markets, the United States must stay competitive. Many U.S.-based companies have supported President Trump’s America First agenda, moving their factories back home or, at least, out of China. Despite reducing their dependence on China, many of these businesses are still undercut for relying on resources nonexistent within our own borders.

Now more than ever before, President Trump’s message holds true: we must end our reliance on unreliable actors abroad. But, to support American companies aiding in this effort, a few things can be done to ease the transition: close exploitative loopholes, aggressively enforce tariffs on other nations, and provide awards to industries in support of America First trade policies. It’s all about leverage. (RELATED: Trump Admin Says It Can’t Comply With Order To Issue Tariff Refunds)

Loopholes can take a variety of forms, but they all share one trait: taking advantage of holes in the law, or outright avoiding sanctions, for the sake of an unfair advantage over American industry. Many Chinese firms, for example, are able to benefit from state-backed policies and financing advantages due to their socialist-controlled economy.

This is where rigorous enforcement of tariff policy on top of existing trade laws will become all the more necessary. Customs should investigate illegal transshipment allegations, determine when foreign-backed firms are offsetting tariff costs with subsidies, and apply the rules consistently across the board. Americans deserve to know the rules will not be selectively applied, or worse, ignored.

At the end of the day, the country isn’t making progress if the enforcement of tariffs doesn’t match their intent. The benefit should be reciprocal.

Accommodations should be made for U.S.-based companies that are making strides toward all-American manufacturing, while still maintaining the pressure of tariffs on foreign adversaries. The Trump Administration could consider economic incentives for American firms that are dutifully paying tariffs as required while moving out of China. Not only does this give American companies the room to grow and compete, it can help them invest in the creation of new U.S. jobs too.

Companies that are looking to reduce their foreign exposure shouldn’t face disadvantages along the way. While tariffs serve a vital role in protecting against foreign production, it can harm American businesses that rely on the global supply chain system. As they make a well-intended transition toward investing in American workers, reward systems promote measurable progress that combat unnatural advantages other countries have outside our free market system. (RELATED: China Brushes Off Trump Tariffs With Jaw-Dropping $1 Trillion Surplus)

In the fight to make America the powerhouse it was in the past, the federal government should give its citizens a leg up in the economy, not a disadvantage. Tariffs can both fight foreign interference while also respecting the complexities of the global supply chain, all for the advantage of our American workers.

 Steve Cortes is president of the League of American Workers and advisor to Catholic Vote. He directs political campaigns on media, polling, and Hispanic outreach, including Trump 2016/2020 and Vance 2022 US Senate. He is a former broadcaster for Fox News and CNN.

The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller.

© The Daily Caller