Washington: In a day or two, US President Donald Trump and his cabinet secretaries will unveil their plans for a new wave of tariffs on America’s friends and foes. The occasion, which Trump has for weeks called “Liberation Day”, will be marked by a ceremony of sorts in the White House Rose Garden.

Despite the long run-up to this announcement, there is precious little certainty about what Trump will reveal. We know there will be “reciprocal tariffs” targeting the countries that maintain duties on imports from the United States. We know the administration has its eye on the so-called “dirty 15” nations with which the US has large and persistent trade deficits.

Trump casually told reporters in the Oval Office he had “settled” his tariff decisions. Credit: Artwork: Matthew Absalom-Wong

And we know that non-tariff trade barriers, such as Australia’s ban on importing uncooked American beef, are also in the sights of Trump’s trade and economic advisers.

But how that shakes out on April 2 is anyone’s guess, including those closest to the president.

“I can’t give you any forward-looking guidance on what’s going to happen this week,” White House National Economic Council director Kevin Hassett said on Fox News. “The president has got a heck of a lot of analysis........

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