NYT: In a Blow to Trump, America's Trade Deficit Hit a Record $891 Billion- highest it's ever been..

[riversedge]

In a Blow to Trump, America’s Trade Deficit Hit a Record $891 Billion


https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/06/us/politics/us-trade-deficit.html?action=click&module=MoreInSection&pgtype=Article&region=Footer&contentCollection=

The United States trade deficit in goods reached $891.3 billion in 2018 — the highest it’s ever been.CreditMark Ralston/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images


By Jim Tankersley and Ana Swanson

March 6, 2019

WASHINGTON — America’s trade deficit with the rest of the world rose to its highest level in history last year as the United States imported more goods than ever, including a record amount from China, ballooning the deficit to $891.3 billion and delivering a setback to President Trump’s goal of narrowing that gap.

The increase was driven by some factors outside Mr. Trump’s control, like a global economic slowdown and the relative strength of the United States dollar, both of which weakened overseas demand for American goods. But the widening gap was also exacerbated by Mr. Trump’s $1.5 trillion tax cut, which has been largely financed by government borrowing, and the trade war he escalated last year.

The trade deficit is the difference between how much a country sells to its trading partners and how much it buys. Mr. Trump has long boasted that his trade policies would reduce that gap, which he views as a measure of whether partners like China and the European Union are taking advantage of the United States, a diagnosis that few economists share.

Instead, in a year when Mr. Trump imposed tariffs on steel, aluminum, washing machines, solar panels and a variety of Chinese goods, the trade deficit grew by 12.5 percent from 2017, or nearly $70 billion, the Commerce Department said Wednesday.....................

[Ohiogal]

1. Is America great again yet?

[SWBTATTReg]

2. We are winning!! Sarcasm here...and in the meantime guess how much money

we're out $ Billions of Dollars (US Consumers) because of rump's stupid and ineffective actions.

I wonder if anyone is writing a book on 'How Not To Be A US President'? Plenty of material around to write tons of stuff.

[Iliyah]

3. Damage to the USA's economy . . .

Republicans don't care. They enrich themselves and suck everything dry and then blame every body else.

[BigmanPigman]

5. He doesn't really care.

[ooky]

7. Not at all.

His big talk on trade was just one big lie, for votes, right from the beginning. Pretty soon farmers are going to start realizing there is no end game to his trade war. They are just victims of Trump lies, pure and simple.

[BigmanPigman]

8. I wonder if those who realize what he has done would vote for him again?

Did they really learn?

[ooky]

9. They are pretty stupid.

M$M keeps publishing articles that say they continue to "support his policies", and that they are "worried about border security", even though they might lose the family farm.

I mean, how dumb is that?

[BigmanPigman]

10. "Dumber than dirt" is how I describe them.

[riversedge]

13. Only if it interfers with his re-election plans.

[duforsure]

6. Trillions taken out of OUR economy

By trump and the gop , so they can't blame others for their policies for the wealthy, and hurting the rest of us by robbing the poor and the middle class. trump supporters got to be so happy now counting all the extra money they got, lol.

[Submariner]

11. Trump will find a way to blame this on Hillary's emails or the Obama beer summit

[renate]

12. Or Obama's tan suit

That's where it all started.

[smirkymonkey]

14. K&R

He fucks up everything he touches. Why should the US economy be any different? I don't think we have seen the worst of yet.