Donald Trump has started a tariff war based on awful economics, with little thought to the consequences for US businesses, consumers or markets, and no clear end game. But the US does have some legitimate grievances about the trade policies adopted by other countries – and not just by China. For the last forty years … Continue reading US tariff war exposes Europe’s double standards on trade
Tag: Politics
Why China can still win a trade war with the US
As every student of economics or history show know, free trade is a win-win. The escalation in the tariff war between the US and China will therefore be a lose-lose for both parties. Nonetheless, China is more likely to come out on top. This may seem counter intuitive. After all, China benefits from a huge … Continue reading Why China can still win a trade war with the US
Tumbling energy prices will provide just a little relief from a tariff war
President Trump’s tariff war has already had a large number of consequences – intended or otherwise – for the global economy. But the slump in energy prices is at least one result that we can welcome. On Monday the price of a barrel of Brent fell to US$64, down about 16pc from the average of … Continue reading Tumbling energy prices will provide just a little relief from a tariff war
Thirteen questions and twelve answers on Trump’s tariff war
By popular demand, here is a bitesize Q&A on tariffs. In short, there are no winners from a trade war, but it is not too late to avoid a global recession. For now, ‘wait and see’ may be the best strategy both for central bankers and investors. 1. Do the new ‘reciprocal tariffs’ make any … Continue reading Thirteen questions and twelve answers on Trump’s tariff war
Plain-speaking Economics 