Value vs. Price and its relation to tariffs I’m naturally against tariffs as they impede on free trade, and end up hurting the consumer by inadvertently becoming a tax on imports as well as raising the cost of goods. So I'm trying to challenge my natural assumptions as best I can.

I know the Hayekian school of thought is that the cheaper and more widely available products/materials are the better for the consumer, but I wanted to pose the question that if cheaper doesn't necessarily equal quality why is cheaper always being preferred ? For instance with Steel, I've read numerous publications citing American Steel &amp; Aluminum to be of far greater strength and quality than overseas Steel. Does it all boil down to the freedom to choose as Milton Friedman says ? What is the cost / benefit analysis on something like a Tariff on Steel &amp; Aluminum if its a far better product which might require us to buy less of it over-time ? 

I remember growing up my father would say that he didn’t care that he could buy a microwave for 30$, and that he would gladly pay triple or quadruple for a superior product that would last a lifetime. Do we rely too heavily on affordability ? 

Sub-Question : I’ve noticed prominent speakers like Victor Davis Hanson say that these Tariffs are so minuscule no one will notice them. Apparently 70% of steel used in the United States is American Steel and China is actually 11th on the list of steel &amp; aluminum providers. Is there too much hyperbole that a steel &amp; aluminum tariff will cause a trade war ?
You asked "why is cheaper always being preferred". Well, it's not. People routinely pay more for quality. Cheaper is almost always preferred for identical products. But cheaper is not always preferred for goods that are only partial substitutes. For example, a well-made pair of shoes that will last ten years, will cost more than an equally-comfortable pair that will last one year. But will cost less than ten times as much, and many people who can afford the well-made pair, will buy them.

"I've read numerous publications citing American Steel &amp; Aluminum to be of far greater strength and quality than overseas Steel"

There are many different grades of steel. These guarantee certain proportions of metals, that in turn guarantee certain physical properties. And they come at different costs, and thus different prices. It doesn't make sense to say "this country's steel is better than that country's steel" - that's jingoism, not economics, not materials science. What matters is the grade of steel being produced, and its price.

"these Tariffs are so minuscule no one will notice them": if that was the case, there'd be no point in flouting international agreements to implement them. The big issue is that this signals an administration that is willing to cause itself and other countries economic harm, in the interest of pursuing an ignorant, silly ideology.