Tariffs, Trade, and the Test of Sovereignty: A Reformed Economic Analysis

On April 2, 2025, President Donald J. Trump declared a national emergency under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), citing the United States’ persistent trade deficits and lack of reciprocal trade relationships. Effective April 5, all imported goods will be subject to a 10% tariff, with additional tariffs targeting specific nations with large deficits. Whether the Executive branch even has the constitutional right to do this is debatable, but we will not be covering that in this article. According to the administration, this is a move to protect American industry, reclaim economic sovereignty, and correct long-standing trade imbalances. (whitehouse.gov)

From a biblical and Reformed perspective, however, the Christian’s duty is not to fall in line with populist rhetoric or economic nationalism. We are called to evaluate every policy by God’s standard of justice, equity, and wisdom (Deuteronomy 25:13–16). Tariffs are not intrinsically righteous or sinful—they are tools. But tools in the wrong hands, or used with the wrong motives, can bring destruction under the banner of protection.

Let’s examine the cases made for and against tariffs in general, and then turn to the more evident dangers from a Christian economic viewpoint.

The Case for Tariffs

1. Tariffs as “Protection” for American Workers

This administration claims that tariffs will safeguard American jobs from unfair foreign competition. Advocates argue that these measures will rebuild domestic industry, repatriate manufacturing, and restore national pride. The narrative is simple: American workers are losing their jobs to foreign factories, so the government must intervene. The general justification for tariffs seems to be the idea that any amount of trade imbalance between nations is de facto evidence of systemic predatory trade practices. A zero-sum view on economic productivity that reeks of Marxist ideals.

In Practice, this “protection” often functions more like a government-imposed moat around favored sectors. The critical question becomes: Which jobs and industries deserve protection, and who decides? When tariffs are arbitrarily applied or targeted to appease particular voting blocs, they become political tools rather than instruments of justice.

Moreover, this line of thinking ignores the fundamental reality that economies are dynamic. Industries rise and fall, and innovation frequently displaces older forms of labor. Artificially propping up declining sectors can stagnate growth and disincentivize entrepreneurial risk. From a biblical perspective, this is counterproductive. The dominion mandate (Genesis 1:28) calls man to cultivate and innovate, not to rely on state intervention to secure a static economic order.

God’s Law upholds the principle of honest weights and balances (Proverbs 11:1). When government interference disrupts the natural pricing mechanisms of the market, it introduces injustice. The blacksmith in Indiana may benefit in the short term, but the computer engineer in Georgia who pays 20% more for imported parts and tools bears the hidden cost. This is not protection—it is forced redistribution.

2. Tariffs as a Tool of Economic Justice

Supporters of tariffs argue that they function as a moral corrective to the global economic order. Nations that manipulate currencies or suppress wages are seen as unjust participants in international commerce. Tariffs, they say, level the playing field, as if our nation is not guilty of manipulating currency or suppressing wages...

While the language of justice is compelling, it is often a veneer. The reality is that justice cannot be manufactured through coercive taxes on consumers. The biblical standard of justice involves impartiality (Leviticus 19:15) and honest transactions (Deuteronomy 25:13–16), not reactive economic punishment. Tariffs often fail to distinguish between guilty actors and innocent trading partners. The blanket 10% tariff penalizes all importers equally, regardless of their individual fairness or integrity.

Worse yet, these policies can lead to idolatry of the state. The government begins to position itself as the arbiter of global justice, using economic levers to shape the world according to its own standards. This is dangerous territory. As R.J. Rushdoony noted, “The state becomes a lawless god when it assumes powers not delegated to it by God’s Word.” Tariffs, used in this way, reflect not biblical justice but statist overreach.

Economic justice cannot be achieved through retaliation. Rather, it must be grounded in obedience to God’s law, private enterprise, and a willingness to suffer economic loss for the sake of righteousness when necessary. Christians must be wary of policies that claim the moral high ground but are built on coercion.

The Biblical Warning Against Tariffs: A Clearer Danger

1. Tariffs as Hidden Taxation

Most Americans don’t realize that tariffs are not paid by foreign governments or exporters—they are paid by domestic importers, who almost always pass the cost along to consumers. A 10% tariff on all goods functions as a blanket sales tax, not applied at the register, but quietly in the background. This means families are effectively taxed on thousands of products without even realizing it.

Scripture repeatedly condemns unjust taxation, particularly when it burdens the poor. Isaiah 10:1–2 speaks against those who “enact unjust statutes…to deprive the needy of justice.” In practical terms, these tariffs may act as a form of regressive taxation, disproportionately affecting low-income households who spend a greater portion of their income on goods and necessities.

The Reformed tradition has always insisted on clear and limited government. Hidden taxation through tariffs undermines both clarity and consent. If a government must raise revenue, let it do so openly and justly—not through economic sleight of hand.

2. Tariffs and Cronyism Go Hand-in-Hand

Tariffs rarely operate in a vacuum. More often, they become tools of political favoritism, rewarding some industries while harming others. When steel is protected, car manufacturers suffer. When textiles are shielded, retailers pay more. The government begins picking winners and losers—a role Scripture does not assign to the civil magistrate.

God’s Law demands impartiality (Exodus 23:3, Leviticus 19:15), yet tariff policy almost always serves the politically connected. Lobbyists and large corporations push for protections that squeeze out smaller competitors and cement their market dominance. The result is a market shaped by regulation rather than by honest competition.

This is not the free market. This is not biblical dominion. This is economic feudalism masquerading as patriotism. Christians should be the first to oppose such partiality, especially when it disguises itself as economic nationalism.

Do We See Tariffs in the Bible?

An important question as we try to build a positive argument from Scripture for every economic decision an individual or government makes. Strictly speaking, the Bible doesn’t mention “tariffs” in the modern sense at all—that is, government-imposed taxes on imported goods designed to protect domestic industries or raise revenue. However, we do see a few related practices:

1. Solomon’s Trade Policies (1 Kings 10, 2 Chronicles 9)

Solomon presided over an expansive trade network. He imported gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks (1 Kings 10:22). Scripture emphasizes that trade flowed to Israel, enriching it immensely. “And all the earth sought to Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart. And they brought every man his present…” (1 Kings 10:24–25)

There’s no record of Solomon imposing tariffs on imports, but there is evidence that he taxed his own people to finance state projects (1 Kings 12:4)—a point of contention that eventually split the kingdom under Rehoboam. The fact that this taxation was resented suggests Scripture may view heavy-handed economic controls, even for noble goals like temple building, as overreach.

2. Tribute and Toll Booths (Ezra 4:13, Nehemiah 5:15)

The Persian Empire (and earlier, Babylonian rulers) imposed “tribute, custom, and toll” on conquered peoples (look up suzerain-vassal states for more info). This was not a voluntary trade agreement; it was an imperial tax. Ezra 4:13 shows enemies of Israel warning Artaxerxes that if Jerusalem is rebuilt, it will no longer pay tribute or toll—cutting into imperial revenues.

This kind of taxation is not praised. In fact, Nehemiah contrasts his own leadership with prior governors who “laid heavy burdens on the people” (Nehemiah 5:15). He refused to do so, fearing God.

So while tolls and something akin to tariffs existed in ancient kingdoms, they are more often associated with oppressive regimes than with righteous dominion.

So Is There a Theological Justification for Tariffs?

First, A Weak Case from National Sovereignty

Some argue that tariffs are an expression of a nation’s right to control its borders and protect its citizens. In that sense, tariffs could be seen as an economic parallel to border security—defending a country’s people from unjust harm (Romans 13:1–4). If foreign nations are engaged in economic warfare (currency manipulation, slave labor, dumping), a tariff might be considered a defensive measure.

But that justification depends on the context. If tariffs are used to enrich cronies, punish rivals, or centralize control, then they cross into injustice. The Bible allows for civil magistrates to punish evil, but not to interfere with peaceful commerce (Micah 6:11; Proverbs 11:1).

The Stronger Case Is Certainly Against Tariffs

Biblically, trade is good. It's a form of cooperation, not exploitation. The Proverbs 31 woman trades with merchants (Prov. 31:14). Jesus assumes the legitimacy of investment and return (Luke 19:23). The Mosaic Law emphasizes honest measures, not arbitrary trade barriers (Leviticus 19:35–36).

The general trajectory of biblical economics is toward:

Voluntary exchange
Honest weights and measures
Minimal government interference

Tariffs disrupt all three.

Conclusion: Are Tariffs Ever Justified Biblically?

A righteous king in Israel never once imposed what we would call protective tariffs, and the few mentions of trade levies in Scripture are generally negative. That’s telling.

So, while one might construct a prudential case for tariffs in certain extreme scenarios (e.g., as a short-term defense against unjust international aggression), there is no strong biblical case for them as a general economic policy.

If anything, Scripture warns against the temptation of kings to use their power to enrich themselves and expand their control—exactly what many tariffs end up doing. “He will take the tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants.” (1 Samuel 8:15)

Tariffs, like any tax, are a test of a ruler’s humility and of our economic theology.

Dominion in the Real World: How This Affects You

For many of our readers—hardworking families, tradesmen, small business owners, pastors, and investors—this is not an abstract policy debate. Tariffs may impact your daily life in practical, sometimes painful ways.

Tradesmen and blue-collar workers might see initial gains in protected industries. But if retaliation by foreign countries dries up export markets or if higher equipment costs cancel out wage increases, those gains can quickly evaporate.
Small business owners face higher input costs. The tools, materials, and products they depend on become more expensive. Margins shrink. Prices rise. Consumers push back.
Large families and homeschooling parents will feel the pinch. Electronics, clothing, school supplies, and home improvement goods will carry hidden price hikes. The grocery bill, already stressed by inflation, stretches thinner.
Investors and entrepreneurs navigate choppy waters. Tariff battles create uncertainty in global markets. Trade wars have ripple effects. Supply chains shift. Investment becomes riskier.
Churches and ministries may notice giving decline as families tighten their budgets. Many American Christians are already giving sacrificially to their detriment (Thanks Platt), and these hidden costs will make that even less sustainable.

Christians must think beyond the headlines. Dominion economics requires productivity, responsibility, and local resilience. It does not depend on state protectionism. It does not thrive under bureaucratic manipulation. It flourishes under freedom and God-honoring stewardship.

Conclusion: Trade in the Light of the Kingdom

Tariffs may just be a tool, but they are a dangerous one in the hands of a statist regime. They promise justice but often deliver hidden taxes. They pledge protection but breed favoritism. They aim for sovereignty but undermine the very liberty they claim to preserve.

As Christians, we must evaluate economic policy with our Bibles open. Does this policy honor the dignity of honest labor? Does it preserve the integrity of the market? Does it reflect the impartial justice of God? Or does it disguise coercion behind the veil of national pride?

Abraham Kuyper said, “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ… does not cry: Mine!” That includes economics. That includes trade. That includes tariffs. Let us build households that produce, teach our children to work with skill and trade with honor, resist the false saviors of economic nationalism and political control, and trust that justice in the marketplace begins not with Washington, but with obedience to the Word of God.

I do sincerely hope that these tariffs are a bluff designed to reset global economic sanctions and promote an economy without such coercion, but there is no way to know—that is how bluffs work. The biblical way to deal with injustice against us is not to enact retaliatory injustices, but perhaps the threat will have have its desired outcome, and economic justice will be restored. Even then, I cannot help but lament the means.