Much has been written about the impact of tariffs and the costs they impose on Americans. Most of that has been speculative. Now, new data make clear just how high those costs actually are. Those numbers, compiled by The Trade Partnership for the nonpartisan, nonprofit coalition of businesses calling themselves “Tariffs Hurt the Heartland,” aren’t pretty.

In August 2018, $1.4 billion more in tariffs were paid compared to August 2017. That’s an increase of 45 percent. And, of course, it doesn't count the added costs of retaliatory tariffs, or of buying more expensive domestic products and materials to avoid tariffs.

In Michigan, tariff costs tripled from 2017, and cost the state $178 million. Many other states saw tariff costs more than double, including Texas, Illinois, Alabama, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and West Virginia.

In August, steel tariffs alone cost U.S. companies an additional $475 million for products and materials that had been duty-free. Aluminum tariffs added more than $125 in costs, and other tariffs added $550 million in costs in the month of August.

That is not some abstract prediction, but dollar amounts that are already having serious impacts on business of all sizes and the consumers who have to pay more for products.

Indeed, citing Pennsylvania, Angela Hofmann, a spokeswoman for Tariffs Hurt the Heartland, explained: “In Pennsylvania alone, we are seeing 55 percent higher costs of $45 million a month for state business from last year to this year.” She added that "continuing to go down this track will only lead to more layoffs and higher prices.”

As bad as these numbers are, costs from tariffs are going to increase even further. These numbers from August don’t include that latest round of tariffs — including an additional $200 billion on Chinese goods while the previous round only to effect on Aug. 23.

Although Trump has repeatedly claimed that tariffs are good for the country, these are clear added costs that have a real impact on workers, business, and consumers. Instead of winning concessions from China, these tactics have only imposed what must be taught of as an additional tax at home.

If Trump really wants to push back on China, there are better ways to do it with targeted sanctions, safe guards for intellectual property, and bolstering public-private partnerships to protect diplomatic and industrial information.

So far, Trump’s response has instead been to bail out farmers who have acutely felt the impact of the trade war. That might work in the short run, but it will have serious consequences. Not only is it unsustainable, but it also distorts the market and pushes the government to pick economic winners and losers.

Tariffs are hurting business and consumers and likely doing irreparable damage to trading networks, jobs, and American industry. Now that we know just how many millions of dollars they are costing states, it’s time to reconsider these policies.