Immigration and Tariff Policies Stunt US Economy

Peter Zeihan 7 min

The combination of collapsing immigration and high tariffs will generate an economic adjustment soon. Manufacturing is the sector to look at first because it is easiest to relocate supply chains outside of the country.

  • Donald Trump

Chapters

  1. 0:00

    Collapse of Immigration Routes

    All four paths to immigration are collapsing under new policies.

  2. 1:32

    Impact on Labor Market

    Restrictions cause a shrinking workforce and reduced hiring.

  3. 2:06

    Rising Costs and Tariffs

    High visa fees and tariffs increase costs for companies and consumers.

  4. 3:11

    Economic Vulnerability

    Fewer workers make the economy vulnerable to shocks from tariffs.

Key points

  • 0:00

    All four paths to immigration are collapsing under new policies.

  • 0:00

    The government is rounding up migrants in churches and courthouses.

  • 1:32

    Legal pathways for migration have been closed down completely.

  • 2:06

    H-1B visa grants are reduced by about three-quarters with higher fees.

  • 2:06

    Small startups are stuck with local labor due to high visa costs.

  • 2:06

    The US is severing itself from the global tech labor pool.

  • 3:11

    The gold visa price was dropped to $1 million with no takers.

  • 3:11

    Tourism bonds have been severely crimped or closed down completely.

  • 3:11

    The workforce is shrinking for the first time since Vietnam.

  • 3:11

    Companies are letting older employees retire without hiring replacements.

  • 3:11

    Tariffs range from 10 to 60% on various countries including China.

  • 5:17

    Walmart is looking at a 30% increase in prices across the board.

Who and where

People · 1

  • Drawing of Donald Trump

    Donald Trump 5

    President of the United States (2017–2021; since 2025)

    Photo 1

1. Photo: Daniel Torok, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons · Wikidata · redrawn in our house style (Donald Trump)

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