Tariffs that close the market.

What happened

Duties on Chinese medical gloves rose sharply, and domestic market share did not move. According to trade data cited by Charles Benoit in The American Conservative, China’s share of U.S. glove imports fell from about 40 percent to 3 percent, Malaysia’s rose from 44 percent to 68 percent, Vietnam’s tripled, and total imports grew 19 percent.

A China-only tariff does not remove Chinese supply. It routes it through third countries.

The 2026 forced-labor action

The Section 301 action effective July 24, 2026 put 10 to 12.5 percent duties on 60 economies, including the major glove sources, on top of the existing rate on Chinese gloves. That narrows the gap with domestic production. It does not close it, and no lender underwrites a line against a duty the next administration can revoke.

What would work

• Origin-neutral duties. A flat per-unit duty on every country of origin at once leaves no route around it.
• Enforce origin. Transshipment and minimal processing should not change a product’s country of origin.
• Use the revenue. Duty receipts can fund the offtake that makes domestic supply bankable.

The ask

Tariffs are the stick. The purchase order is what builds factories. Use both.

Dan Izhaky · October 2026 · All briefs · Next: Pay hospitals to buy American.