Sat, 08 Feb 2025

Sat, 08 Feb 2025 How Japan sparked Trump's 40-year love affair with tariffs

As a young real estate developer in New York, Trump said a rising Japan was ripping off the US.
Donald Trump has long been critical of Japan's economic influence and trade policies with the US. In the late 1980s, he floated his name as a potential presidential candidate and spoke out against America's trade policies on national TV shows. He claimed that countries like Japan were taking advantage of the US by dumping products into its market without paying fair share. Trump even ran full-page ads in major newspapers calling for "backbone" to be applied to foreign defense policy, suggesting that tariffs could be used to pressure other countries to open their markets and reduce trade deficits. Experts say Trump's views on trade and tariffs were formed during Japan's economic surge in the 1980s. He believed that Japan was unfairly benefiting from US military protection without contributing enough in return. His fixation on tariffs has been consistent over the years, with some critics arguing that he sees them as a way to assert his status as a successful dealmaker. Despite his concerns about trade deficits and foreign competition, Trump's governing philosophy has not changed much since his days as a young real estate developer. He still believes in using tariffs to pressure other countries to open their markets and reduce trade deficits. However, some experts question the effectiveness of tariffs as a tool for achieving these goals and worry that they could harm US businesses and international alliances. In recent years, Trump's views on China have become more prominent, with him imposing tariffs on goods imported from China in an effort to pressure Beijing to open up its market. Despite criticism from some economists and lawmakers, Trump remains committed to his trade policies, including the use of tariffs as a tool for achieving fair trade.
  >>