In the past week, President Donald Trump has managed to make his erratic trade policies even more baffling to countries desperate to negotiate an escape from his wrath.

Doubling down on his trade wars, Trump is threatening to raise taxes on many goods from Canada, hike his universal tariff on imports from around the world and punish Brazil for prosecuting his friend, the country’s former president.

On Saturday, Trump announced more tariffs still, this time on two of the United States’ biggest trade partners: the European Union and Mexico, at 30% each.

Former U.S. trade negotiator Wendy Cutler said that Trump’s recent moves “underscore the growing unpredictability, incoherence and assertiveness’’ of his trade policies. “It’s hard for trading partners to know where they stand with Trump on any given day and what more may be coming their way when least expected,’’ said Cutler, now vice president at the Asia Society Policy Institute.

  • Em Adespoton@lemmy.caEnglish
    60·
    19 hours ago

    Seems to me that it’s time for other nations to make the best of the prisoner’s dilemma and drop tariffs with each other while sanctioning the US. After all, the US at this point has broken almost all its treaties and trade agreements. There’s no reason for the rest of the world to honour what no longer exists.