What was the primary purpose of the Hawley-Smoot Tariff enacted in 1930?

The primary purpose of the Hawley-Smoot Tariff, enacted in 1930, was to increase duties on agricultural and manufactured imports. This legislation aimed to protect American industries and farmers by raising tariffs on imported goods, making foreign products more expensive and less competitive in the U.S. market.

The Hawley-Smoot Tariff was a response to the economic conditions of the time, particularly the Great Depression, with the hope that higher tariffs would stimulate domestic production and employment. However, the result was often a decline in international trade as other countries retaliated by imposing their own tariffs. This ultimately worsened the economic situation globally rather than fostering growth.

In context, the other options do not align with the intentions and outcomes of the tariff. Reducing tariffs would contradict the law’s purpose, stimulating foreign trade was not the intended effect as the tariff aimed to limit such trade, and eliminating tariffs on essential goods was the opposite of the protectionist approach taken by the legislation. Thus, option B accurately reflects the primary aim of the Hawley-Smoot Tariff.