On tariffs, Trump moves forward, and back. What does it herald for trade?

On tariffs, Trump moves forward, and back. What does it herald for trade?

President Trump’s on-and-off tariffs could hide a plan to make bilateral trade deficits key to U.S. trade policies.

The Real Reason Trump Hates Trade Deficits

Image courtesy of Global Trading Center   The same political party that hates big corporations, pushes for open borders, advocates for expanded government handouts, and demands a higher minimum wage—while supporting illegal immigration that suppresses wages for low-skilled workers—also wants you to believe that China and trade deficits are fine. But they aren’t. President Trump’s tariff regimen, which has allies and adversaries feeling nervous, …

In order to justify his customs policy, Trump regularly refers to the negative trade balances with other states. However, even if the deficit is often on the US side, he clearly exaggerates with the figures. By Fr. Siggelkow.

Trump’s Trade Math Ignores a Major Export

“President Trump is wielding tariffs to try to close the massive U.S. trade deficit in goods, which he sees as a sign of economic weakness,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “It is only part of the trade story.” “While the U.S. buys more goods from abroad than it sells, the opposite is true for services, which include everything from streaming subscriptions to financial advice. Trump left these service exports out of his tariff math, but they ar…

Ten Tariff Questions Never Asked › American Greatness

1. Trump’s So-Called “Trade War.” Many call the American effort to obtain either tariff parity or a reduction in the roughly $1 trillion trade deficit […] Source

‘Inconsistent with Basic Economics’: Harvard Economics Baffled by Trump’s Tariff Policy

After more than a week of escalating tariffs on the United States’ closest allies and adversaries alike, Harvard economists warned that President Donald Trump’s economic policy would plunge the country into a recession.