Leaders | Trade wars: episode II

Trump’s tariff plans would be disastrous for America and the world

You may think his worst ideas won’t get far. Sadly, on trade he has been singularly influential

Trump pointing with his right arm in the air
Image: Anthony Gerace

Joe Biden’s approval rating is languishing and Donald Trump is cruising to the Republican presidential nomination, so it is wise to consider what another Trump term might bring. Though much about Mr Trump’s policy agenda is chaotic, in one area he is crystal clear: he wants to raise tariffs. A lot. He has proposed slapping a 10% tariff on all imported goods, thereby trebling the country’s average and taking American trade protectionism back to its mid-20th-century heyday.

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This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline “Trade wars: episode II ”

From the November 4th 2023 edition

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