2 ms·
If that was your goal, you’d need to use a mechanism which actually targets it such as a tariff based on reliable audits of factory conditions. A tariff applied
by acdha 2y ago
If that was your goal, you’d need to use a mechanism which actually targets it such as a tariff based on reliable audits of factory conditions. A tariff applied to a country does nothing to improve working conditions until prices rise above the alternatives, and then businesses are going to pick the next cheapest option.
None of this is speculative or something we need to study ancient history to understand, either. When Trump enacted tariffs during his first term prices for American consumers went up 10-30%, tens of thousands of American jobs were lost due to rising prices on intermediate goods and retaliatory tariffs, and manufacturing shifted to countries like Vietnam and Bangladesh where working conditions are not notably better. If you want to improve working conditions, you have to make that the best business choice.