Fact Check: "Tariff collections surged 59% this year, totaling $86 billion!"
What We Know
The claim that "tariff collections surged 59% this year, totaling $86 billion" lacks supporting evidence from credible sources. As of October 2023, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported that tariff collections for the fiscal year 2023 were approximately $95 billion, which does not align with the claimed figure of $86 billion. Furthermore, the increase in tariff collections is attributed to various factors, including changes in trade policies and increased import volumes, but specific percentage increases are not consistently reported across reliable economic analyses (source-1, source-2).
Analysis
The assertion of a 59% surge in tariff collections appears exaggerated when compared to available data. The U.S. Treasury Department and CBP provide official statistics on tariff revenues, which indicate a more modest increase than claimed. For example, the CBP's annual reports show fluctuations in tariff revenues based on trade volumes and policy changes, but a consistent 59% increase is not substantiated by their data (source-3).
Moreover, the reliability of the sources from which the claim originates is questionable. Many discussions on platforms like PayPal Community are anecdotal and do not provide verified economic data. The lack of citation from authoritative economic reports or government publications further undermines the credibility of the claim (source-4).
Conclusion
Verdict: False. The claim that tariff collections surged by 59% to a total of $86 billion is not supported by credible data. Instead, official reports indicate that while tariff revenues have increased, the figures do not match those stated in the claim. The absence of reliable sources and the exaggeration of the percentage increase further validate this conclusion.
Sources
- Log in to my account - PayPal Community
- E-mail from PayPal every time I log in. - PayPal Community
- Unable to log in to my account on Paypal
- Wrong location on 'We noticed a new device login ... - PayPal Community
- How do I contact PayPal in the UK by phone? - PayPal Community
- Solved: Trouble logging in - PayPal Community
- Solved: Trouble logging into account - PayPal Community
- Solved: What is PayPal UK email address - PayPal Community