What Determines State Heterogeneity in Response to U.S. Tariff Changes?
Published online on June 02, 2026
Abstract
["International Economic Review, EarlyView. ", "\nABSTRACT\nWe develop a structural framework to identify the sources of cross‐state heterogeneity in response to U.S. tariff changes. A unilateral 25‐percentage‐point U.S. tariff increase across sectors induces consumption changes ranging from −0.8% in Oregon to 2.3% in Montana. This variation stems from the interaction between states' internal comparative advantage and the nation's external comparative advantage. Factor mobility lowers aggregate consumption and reshapes the cross‐state impacts by shifting resources toward more distorted states and sectors. Consequently, preferred tariff changes vary systematically across states, necessitating transfers to align regional policy incentives. Foreign retaliation reduces aggregate gains while perpetuating cross‐state variation."]