Trump Finally Confirms True Extent of China Tariffs
Donald Trump’s tariff reversal Wednesday reduced duties against most countries’ imports to 10 percent—except China, which was instead being raised to a staggering 125 percent, or so he announced at the time.
On Thursday, the White House confirmed to CNBC that tariffs against Beijing are at an even higher 145 percent—125 percent as a reciprocal measure against China’s tariff hikes, in addition to the earlier 20 percent tariffs because Trump claims the country isn’t doing enough to prevent fentanyl from coming into the U.S.
While Trump’s decision to back down from most of his tariffs helped international markets rally late Wednesday (and gave his billionaire friends a nice boost), those gains were wiped in half Thursday, with NASDAQ, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, and the S&P 500 all down by at least 4 percent each.
China is a major trading partner with the United States, with many corporations such as Apple depending on the country. Tariffs against Canadian and Mexican goods not covered by the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, including automobiles and aluminum, are also still in place at 25 percent.
And there’s no telling what Trump will decide to do next, as he has reversed his tariff positions several times, opening himself up to online ridicule and having hedge fund managers wonder if he is insane. Wall Street, as well as markets around the world do not like uncertainty, and the president seems to have no real plan, making it up as he goes along. This self-inflicted financial crisis will not be ending for the foreseeable future.
Donald Trump may have reversed course on tariffs, but that doesn’t mean the economy has reversed course away from a recession.
Some of the country’s largest investment firms—including JP Morgan and MetLife—are still warning their clients that the country is on the verge of a recession, despite the seemingly temporary market frenzy sparked by Trump’s decision to cave on his trade war.
JP Morgan said Wednesday evening that it wouldn’t change its economic forecast, predicting a 60 percent chance of a recession both at home and around the world. Goldman Sachs said that the odds of entering an economic downturn had been slightly buoyed by Trump’s news, but the odds were still elevated at around 45 percent.
“My sense here is that the economy is still likely to fall into recession, given the level of simultaneous shocks that it’s absorbed,” Joe Brusuelas, chief economist of consulting firm RSM, told CNN. “All this does is postpone temporarily what will likely be a series of punitive import taxes put on U.S. trade allies.”
Before Trump announced the 90-day tariff pause (except those placed on China) on Wednesday, MetLife released a note indicating to its investors that Trump’s policies had done permanent damage to the American market.
“Even if there is a near-term resolution of the tariff and other trade issues, damage has been done to the economy and to consumer expectations,” the note reads. “It is also unlikely that markets will rebound fully meaning that for the large cohort of workers approaching retirement and for those workers striving toward home ownership, the boost in the savings rate prompted by this volatility may be sustained. “
Meanwhile, Trump is continuing to stoke tensions with China. After volleying with the foreign economic powerhouse over reciprocal tariffs for the bulk of Wednesday, Trump revealed yet another levy hike, bringing the total tariff on China to 145 percent. That was composed of a 20 percent fentanyl tariff—which the White House has claimed is effectively punishment for contributing to a domestic fentanyl crisis—tacked onto a 125 percent reciprocal tariff. Unfortunately for American wallets, that once again sent stocks tumbling.
Volatility in the bond market—which has traditionally served as an investment safe haven during the market’s rough waters—has also sparked fears that Americans no longer see the U.S. government as a stable, long-term investment.
Donald Trump is openly bragging about just how much money his billionaire buddies made off of his dangerous tariff gambit.
After announcing a 90-day pause Wednesday on his sweeping “reciprocal tariff” policy on nearly every country—with the exception of China—Trump was excited to take credit for making a buck for his guests at the Oval Office.
“He made $2.5 million today, and he made $900 million! That’s not bad,” Trump said, pointing to financial investor Charles Schwab and Roger Penske, a Nascar team owner, respectively.
Schwab’s estimated net worth is $12.6 billion, while Penske’s is $5.6 billion.
Bloomberg reported that Wednesday was the “best day ever” for billionaires, as the world’s wealthiest people raked in a heaping $304 billion as the markets shot back up.
The day’s biggest individual winner should come as no surprise: Elon Musk made a whopping $36 billion as Tesla stock soared up 23 percent. Trump’s surprising decision to temporarily back off his steep tariffs has sparked major concerns of obvious market manipulation, and even potential © New Republic
