Donald Trump just imposed a 25 percent tariff on virtually all goods produced by America’s two largest trading partners — Canada and Mexico. He simultaneously established a 20 percent across-the-board tariff on Chinese goods.
As a result, America’s average tariff level is now higher than at any time since the 1940s.
Meanwhile, China and Canada immediately retaliated against Trump’s duties, with the former imposing a 15 percent tariff on American agricultural products and the latter putting a 25 percent tariff on $30 billion of US goods. Mexico has vowed to mount retaliatory tariffs of its own.
This trade war could have far-reaching consequences. Trump’s tariffs have already triggered a stock market sell-off and cooling of manufacturing activity. And economists have estimated that the trade policy will cost the typical US household more than $1,200 a year, as the prices of myriad goods rise.
All this raises the question: Why has the US president chosen to upend trade relations on the North American continent? The stakes of this question are high, since it could determine how long Trump’s massive tariffs remain in effect. Unfortunately, the president himself does not seem to know the answer.
In recent weeks, Trump has provided five different — and contradictory — justifications for his tariffs on Mexico and Canada…
…more in the article.
Tariffs allow Trump to pay for his tax cuts to the ultra wealthy by stealing from the working class, without them knowing. He also gets to position himself as a strongman and negotiator. There you go.
He is a Russian asset and has been since at least 2014
Cuz he is a puppet, a Russian asset and generally not an intelligent person nor a good businessman.
Apparently It’s supposed to get rid of the browns and the gays and the women and everyone else until it’s just a bunch of old white men sitting around, counting money, and masturbating to AI porn? Kind of like a hateful gross version of Scrooge McDuck.
Scrooge McDuck was also pretty awful. They had to invent a nemesis for him, Flintheart Glumgold, just to make him not seem so bad by comparison.
Donald is in indentured servitude after all. Gnarly man.
Spooge McFuck
It seems to be working, I signed my ticket out of here. I’m a brown and queer woman. Just need to survive until immigration goes through.
If you don’t mind, how are you pulling it off? Just trying to get ideas too.
Work transfer through my day job. I will note I’m taking a 50% pay cut for this, but the mental security and new friends will be worth it
Godspeed friend, hope this place will be worthy of you again someday
And economists have estimated that the trade policy will cost the typical US household more than $1,200 a year
Remember this, when you hear about tax cuts for the wealthy.
off topic, but what does your signature mean? can you really copyright your comments? I’ve never seen this before
It’s the equivalent of those Facebook posts you see telling Zuck that you don’t consent to your data being stored and sold.
That is… less than I’d have guessed.
Funny, isn’t that the exact amount of the stimulus checks he handed out during his first presidency?
Just my opinion as a layman: the tariffs give his corporate backers all the excuse they need to jack up prices even higher.
Putin said: “go forth and break shit” and here we are.
yup. it’s successfully costing america its allies.
It’s not inappropriate though. I’ve been saying for years Canada should not be so closely allied with such a fickle country.
