Protectionism is worse when it’s erratic and unpredictable. The “very stable genius” in the Oval Office is, in fact, extremely unstable, in word and deed. That’s not a psychological diagnosis, although you can make that case too. It’s just a straightforward description of his behavior. And his instability is starting to have …
The president managed a G-7 summit his way — unwilling to commit to clear stances and declining to be boxed in by anyone. BIARRITZ, France — The divisions were laid bare on the first day, when President Donald Trump insisted to U.S. allies at an opening dinner for the G-7 …
Congressional budget forecasters are predicting more red ink — nearly $1 trillion this year — as a result of the bipartisan spending agreement lawmakers struck this summer. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office now says the federal deficit will hit $960 billion in fiscal 2019 and average $1.2 trillion in each of the …
But he doesn’t seem to be learning. If you want to understand the developing trade war with China, the first thing you need to realize is that nothing Donald Trump is doing makes sense. His views on trade are incoherent. His demands are incomprehensible. And he vastly overrates his ability …
Neither tax cuts nor tariffs are working. Donald Trump has pursued two main economic policies. On taxes, he has been an orthodox Republican, pushing through big tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy, which his administration promised would lead to a huge surge in business investment. On trade, he has …
Higher prices will be coming to stores this fall, retailers warn, if President Trump follows through with his threat to slap new tariffs on Chinese imports. The White House pressed the tariff threat on Friday, even as Trump announced a new agreement aimed at boosting beef exports to Europe. A …
India has said that, from Sunday, it will impose tariffs on 28 US products, including almonds and apples. The new duties, some as high as 70%, are in response to Washington’s refusal to exempt Delhi from higher taxes on steel and aluminium imports. Earlier this month, US President Trump also announced …
Why “tariff” isn’t a “beautiful word.” Donald Trump’s plan to impose tariffs on Mexican exports unless our neighbor does something — he hasn’t specified what — to stop the flow of asylum-seekers is almost surely illegal: U.S. trade law gives presidents discretion to impose tariffs for a number of reasons, but curbing …
On trade, Trump is a rebel without a clue Are we going to have a full-blown trade war with China, and maybe the rest of the world? Nobody knows — because it all depends on the whims of one man. And Tariff Man is ignorant, volatile and delusional. Why do I say …
Are trade wars “good and easy to win”? Not when you’ve alienated the whole world. There are so many issues breaking right now that it’s hard to keep track — and focusing on any one leads to feelings of guilt about neglecting the others. But it’s worth remembering that the …
Trump has perverted the process and undermined U.S. credibility. In normal times, Donald Trump’s announcement of tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods, bringing us closer to an all-out trade war, would have dominated headlines for days. Things being as they are, it was a below-the-fold story, drowned out …
WASHINGTON — They’ve testified, tweeted, written and called with their concerns. Now American businesses, which have so far been unable to stop President Trump from imposing sweeping tariffs, are mounting a last-ditch effort to convince the president that his trade policies are hurting his political base. In a multimillion-dollar campaign …