To the editor:
I am surprised to see how Trump, the “Art of the Deal” guy, is approaching tariff agreements. Regardless of the power you have over an opponent, the first rule to follow is respect. Telling the world that everyone is coming to you to kiss your ass is boastful and the opposite of being respectful. It is unsophisticated and clownish. Even when the other side has no alternative other than to accept terms you dictate (Japan unconditionally surrendering at the end of World War II), rubbing one’s nose in it serves no purpose other than satisfying your own ego.
Trump boasted that many countries were lining up to make deals, but until recently, specifics were never mentioned. Finally, a deal was struck with Great Britain, and although Trump made it sound like it was a big win for him while making “minor” concessions to the Brits, I doubt that is what actually happened.
Trump was under a great deal of pressure to announce a tariff deal, so I doubt Great Britain asked what they needed to do to satisfy Trump. My guess is that Great Britain pointed out that unless Trump is reasonable with them, they will cancel a $13 billion purchase of airplanes from Boeing and not sell Boeing the due to their integrated manufacturing process with Canada and Mexico engines they use in their planes. So if things didn’t go well, imagine Trump hearing British negotiators holding a press conference in which they announce those deals will be going to Airbus. Trump probably saw this as a possibility, which would cause him to abandon some items he targeted to protect.
He announced he will keep a 10 percent tariff on most items imported from Great Britain, but he eased tariffs on British steel, aluminum, and automobiles. By allowing 100,000 British cars to be imported with a 10 percent tariff instead of 27.5 percent, he has upset U.S. automobile unions and manufacturers. They feel this will give British car makers an advantage, while their cars will be subject to higher tariffs due to their integrated manufacturing process with Canada and Mexico, making them less affordable for most Americans.
Great Britain was a starting point, but at 2.3 percent of U.S. imports in 2024, they are our seventh largest trading partner. The 10-ton elephant in this is China, with 16.5 percent of U.S. imports. Trump’s bullying of China, claiming they are under more pressure to agree to a deal than we are, shows he does not see China has the upper hand. Chairman Xi, as supreme leader, does not have political pressure to capitulate. There is also the need to save face, which means that Xi will not bend a knee to Trump and surely never kiss him you know where.
A tariff negotiation with China just happened, and Trump blinked. Both sides agreed to reduce tariffs on each other for 90 days. Our tariffs on China dropped from 145 percent to 30 percent, which is still high. China’s tariffs on us have dropped to 10 percent. But that is for 90 days—then what? And other countries are still subject to high tariffs. In other words, nothing has changed regarding surety past 90 days.
As tariff negotiations drag on, it is still anticipated that by this summer, shelves in stores will be empty, followed by businesses being forced to close. You can also watch unemployment skyrocket as we head into a recession that may deepen and possibly cause a depression.
Not to be lost on this is that whatever we sell to world markets can be replaced by others, which has likely already begun. All of this is unnecessary chaos caused by Trump‘s miscalculation and ego. If a Democratic president did this, I wonder what Republicans in Congress would do. Think about that.
Frank Gunsberg
Great Barrington
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