As with most things, it depends. If a country isn't trading in good faith tariffs can be used to correct that, just like fines are used to encourage companies to follow regulations within a country.
Take aviation, for example. Do you think the United States exports airplanes built by 'trade in good faith'? Or is Boeing a company that is largely propped up by government largess? Or, if not, would you say that Boeing achieved market and technical dominance via government support in decades past? What about Silicon Valley? It only exists in California because of military contracts and very generous R&D funding for universities in the 70s and 80s.
Yet, similar behaviours on the part of other countries are considered 'not trading in good faith'.
The United States has done the same thing, when it was behind in industrialization to the United Kingdom. Heavy tariffs on foreign goods, in order to prop up its own domestic sector.
Once they get their auto industry together, to the same level of quality as US manufacturers, they won't need that tariff.