How I Think The Tariff Tantrum Plays Out
Submitted by QTR's Fringe Finance
There isn’t too much I can say about this tariff mess that hasn’t been covered in the mainstream media. Well, with the exception of ridiculing everybody on television over the last 48 hours who told people to buy stocks heading into the announcement based on nothing more than their Modern Monetary Theory crystal ball, which rarely offers up any other direction.
Most already know that in a bold move to reshape international trade dynamics, President Donald Trump declared April 2, 2025, as "Liberation Day," unveiling a comprehensive tariff strategy aimed at asserting America's economic sovereignty.
The plan introduces a universal 10% tariff on all imports, effective April 5, with additional "reciprocal tariffs" targeting specific nations perceived to engage in unfair trade practices. Notably, China faces a cumulative tariff rate of 54%, the European Union 20%, and Japan 24%. Trump framed this initiative as a "Declaration of Economic Independence," asserting that it would revitalize domestic industries and rectify longstanding trade imbalances
By now, we’ve seen the tariff plans and we’ve seen the market reaction. Cat’s out of the bag so, as far as uncertainty around what the tariffs would look like, we can cross that off the list. As it relates to whether or not the tariffs will last long and whether the Trump team is playing 4D chess, here are my thoughts.
I saw Eric Trump on Twitter this morning, encouraging countries to be first in negotiating new deals with the United States. I saw similar comments yesterday from people close to the Trump administration.
The strategy seems to be...(READ THIS FULL ARTICLE HERE).
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