KOAA News 5: Import tariffs on cheese from EU

Posted at 4:37 PM, Nov 01, 2019 and last updated 4:30 PM, Nov 05, 2019

Distinguished economics professor Dr. Kishore Kulkarni with MSU Denver says there are multiple reasons the current administration could be imposing tariffs on goods from Europe. It's a way for the U.S. to generate more tax revenue. Tariffs are also a way to punish foreign exporters if the government believes a certain country is not playing on a level field. In the context of cheese, Dr. Kulkarni says it's likely the federal government is hoping the tariffs will help U.S. cheese producers earn more money.

“As we raise the taxes on the European imports, then the domestic cheese producers like it, because the price of imported cheese goes up, and then the domestic cheese producers can obviously raise their prices a little bit, and then their competition is stopped by this tax,” Dr. Kulkarni said.