International Trade: Why doesn't the US increase tariffs on Chinese goods?

People unfamilliar with international trade, tariffs and trade deals seem to think that imposing such tariffs would penalize the companies in China. It doesn’t work that way, at least not directly. Any tariff on imported goods is just calculated into the cost of the goods and passed on down the line until it reaches the consumer. I doubt very much that the American consumer wants the cost of many of the goods they purchase to sky-rocket. If they didn’t mind a price increase they could simply check labels now and buy goods not made in China. Once the price of goods rise to absorb the added cost of duty it can be assumed that less goods will be purchased from China. Here is the only place where the company in China will feel any effect of the tariff. Overall though it is the end users, the consumers, in other words YOU, that end up paying for tariffs.

There is also the potential to start a full blown trade war by creating tariffs on imported goods from one particular country. And the way the trade deficit is right now with China in regards to the U.S.A. I’m afraid China would wipe the floor with the U.S. in an all out trade war.