I didn't say it was good for everyone. You said "The trade war isn't helping anyone." I only pointed out that some narrow interest groups favor it because it's helping them.

There are other inefficiencies in the US economy, jobs that are preserved or are high paying solely because existing laws limit competition, limit participation by potential additional workers, etc

The real issue here is not "Have these tariffs caused our economy to deviate from pure efficiency?" It's "Which special groups are allowed to have their own interests protected and extended by law and by government action?" This stuff is happening all over the economy.

Very similar story with the Obama tire tariff. $926,000 cost to consumers per job saved, plus the loss of 3 retail jobs due to consumers spending more on tires and less on other stuff.

http://www.aei.org/publication/2009-tire-tariffs-cost-us-con...

As usual, when the government gets involved in the market and the economy, with a combination of incompetence and cow towing to special interest, it makes the situation worse.