NOTE: If you are short on time, watch the video and complete this See, Think, Wonder activity: What did you notice? What did the story make you think about? What would you want to learn more about?

SUMMARY

Nearly one out of every three physical products made in the world today comes from China, including many items we use in our daily lives. Economics correspondent Paul Solman invites us into his home for a look at what tariff turbulence means for the products we rely on.

View the transcript of the story.

News alternative: Check out recent segments from the NewsHour, and choose the story you’re most interested in watching. You can make a Google doc copy of discussion questions that work for any of the stories here.

Key Terms

tariff — a tax on imported or exported goods

WARM-UP QUESTIONS

1. Where do nearly 1 in every 3 physical products made in the world today come from?
2. How might tariffs affect products made in the U.S. that are manufactured with both foreign and domestic parts?
3. Why can't the U.S. just start to build everything in factories within the country?
4. What is behind recent price increases in some products, according to Paul Solman?
5. What is the larger problem with the Trump administration's tariff threats, according to economist Daniel Bergstresser?

FOCUS QUESTIONS

1. President Trump says that his tariffs might result in children having "two dolls instead of thirty dolls." Meanwhile, Bergstresser says that U.S. consumers should be able to have the choice to own as much of a product as they want. Do you agree with one of these ideas over the other? Explain why or why not.
2. Do you think that most Americans would pay more for products manufactured in the U.S. as opposed to more affordable goods made in China? Explain why or why not.

Media literacy: Who else would you like to see interviewed to learn more about tariffs and how they might affect the U.S. economy?

WHAT STUDENTS CAN DO

Watch the video below of a News Hour story featuring economists with differing views on Trump's tariffs.

1. What do economists Oren Cass and Jason Furman agree on regarding the Trump administration's approach to tariffs?
2. Why do you think there are such differing opinions about the state of the U.S. economy during the Biden administration?

To learn more about how businesses are dealing with the impacts of tariffs, complete this Daily News Lesson.

Written by Gianfranco Beran, PBS News Hour Classroom's production assistant, and News Hour's Vic Pasquantonio.

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