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MUST READ IF YOU TALK TO TRUMPERS: Donald Trump's trade policy makes literally no sense
Trump explains the logic of his actions like this: he is increasing the tariffs – a tax levied at the border when goods are imported – on a broader range of Chinese goods, because he thinks the country is unfairly undercutting US producers.
This will, he says, raise billions of dollars in revenue “from China” – he insists it won’t come from US consumers – which he will then use to buy up food from US farms and “ship it to poor & starving countries” as humanitarian assistance. He then says this arrangement is better than any trade deal could be, but adds that he still wants to negotiate a trade deal anyway.
Just on Trump’s own logic, this is a very strange plan. Trump is telling his Conservative base he is imposing tariffs because Chinese firms are undercutting US firms, but that those tariffs won’t increase prices.
He’ll then use the money they raise not on US citizens – not on cutting the deficit, or funding infrastructure, or even social security – but on buying up US agricultural produce to send overseas as foreign aid, a policy widely hated on the US right and preferred by the US left.
He’s then saying that despite believing this is a brilliant plan, he will end it, and voluntarily give China a better deal with regard to the US than his tariff arrangement does – not so much putting the US first as putting China first.
Just on the basis of its own logic – without a single external fact or expert assessment – Trump’s plan is inconsistent to the point of total incoherency, politically muddled and designed against the interests of his base, and in general a mess.
This will, he says, raise billions of dollars in revenue “from China” – he insists it won’t come from US consumers – which he will then use to buy up food from US farms and “ship it to poor & starving countries” as humanitarian assistance. He then says this arrangement is better than any trade deal could be, but adds that he still wants to negotiate a trade deal anyway.
Just on Trump’s own logic, this is a very strange plan. Trump is telling his Conservative base he is imposing tariffs because Chinese firms are undercutting US firms, but that those tariffs won’t increase prices.
He’ll then use the money they raise not on US citizens – not on cutting the deficit, or funding infrastructure, or even social security – but on buying up US agricultural produce to send overseas as foreign aid, a policy widely hated on the US right and preferred by the US left.
He’s then saying that despite believing this is a brilliant plan, he will end it, and voluntarily give China a better deal with regard to the US than his tariff arrangement does – not so much putting the US first as putting China first.
Just on the basis of its own logic – without a single external fact or expert assessment – Trump’s plan is inconsistent to the point of total incoherency, politically muddled and designed against the interests of his base, and in general a mess.
[link:https://www.newstatesman.com/world/north-america/2019/05/donald-trump-s-trade-policy-makes-literally-no-sense|
Much more at the link. Of course for any sentient human being this has always been a fuck show but this breaks it down rather marvellously!
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