High import tariffs worked well for America for it’s first 180 years. It was a mistake to abandon them.
Low tariffs with trading partners that are equal in wages and social structure like Europe can make both countries marginally wealthier but the downside is they become economically entangled and dependent on each other. Washington warned us about unneccessary foreign entanglements.
Low tariffs with third world countries that have lots of unemployment, simply offshores our industries and jobs to those third world countries. Resulting in higher unemployment here, the loss of industries and associated jobs, and again results in unnecessary entanglement. It lowers prices to consumers but it results in unemployed Americans so it has multiple negative effects.
Tariffs worked because we weren’t taxing internally and were not taxing citizens to death!