Story perspectives

Trump Tariffs Lift Productivity, Fund Coal, Shift Immigration Views

6/5/2026

Summary

Story summary

U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs drove a 1.8 percent rise in manufacturing productivity in 2025, the first increase in years.
He allocated $425 million Defense Production Act funding to 13 coal plants in ten states, tightening customs rules and speeding dismissals.
A study shows white Americans’ concern about immigrant influence fell after Trump’s reelection, while polls in Germany, Australia, Ireland, France, the United Kingdom and nations show opposition to mass migration.

History

Historical Context

The United States shifted from post-World II low tariffs to periodic protectionism, a pattern reflected when President Donald Trump invoked Section 232 of the 1962 Trade Expansion Act to impose a 25 percent steel duty in 2018; by January-April 2025 the average tariff rate had risen to 27 percent, echoing earlier restriction periods.

1 of 2

Story summary

U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs drove a 1.8 percent rise in manufacturing productivity in 2025, the first increase in years.
He allocated $425 million Defense Production Act funding to 13 coal plants in ten states, tightening customs rules and speeding dismissals.
A study shows white Americans’ concern about immigrant influence fell after Trump’s reelection, while polls in Germany, Australia, Ireland, France, the United Kingdom and nations show opposition to mass migration.

1 / 2