The Trade War Is Coming for Your Plumbing

A fair summary of the president’s kaleidoscopic vision for the American economy might go something like this: Workers should have rewarding manufacturing jobs and live comfortably in affordable homes with great showers. Too bad all of those goals are being disrupted by a competing White House priority — a seemingly endless renegotiation of trade agreements.

Take plumbing manufacturers, the makers of those showerheads that an April 9 executive order described as “weak and worthless.” The president hopes to revive the industry by freeing it from regulations imposed by his predecessor. That’s fine as far as it goes — inevitably, the effort is called “restoring shower freedom” — but any such reform will be undermined by the administration’s new tariffs.