President Donald Trump's decision to implement 50% tariffs on copper beginning Aug. 1 has stumped ardent conservatives.
The Wall Street Journal's conservative editorial board published a scathing op-ed Thursday, arguing that the tariffs are a "bewildering decision."
"How this will help the U.S. economy is a mystery, even as it has sent the copper market into turmoil, with chaotic results for American manufacturers that use the vital metal," the editorial board wrote.
The second Trump administration has largely used tariffs as a bargaining chip. Most recently, Trump placed import tariffs on major trading partners like South Korea and Japan under the guise of addressing their trade deficit with the United States.
Trump has also claimed that tariffs can be used to resuscitate ailing industries like manufacturing. On Wednesday, Trump posted on Truth Social that "copper is necessary for Semiconductors, Aircraft, Ships, Ammunition, Data Centers, Lithium-ion Batteries, Radar Systems, Missile Defense Systems, and even, Hypersonic Weapons, of which we are building many. Why did our foolish (and SLEEPY!) ‘Leaders’ decimate this important Industry?”
The WSJ editorial board took issue with Trump's logic, describing it as "close to self-refuting."
"Tariffs won’t spur companies to build new smelters that could get tied up in litigation," the editorial board wrote. "Mr. Trump is going to make U.S. firms pay 50% more for a vital metal while they wait five or more years for U.S. sourcing. How does making it more expensive to build aircraft, ships and ammunition promote national security? This is national insecurity."