Tariffs, Tariffs and More Tariffs!

As history has repeatedly proven, one trade tariff begets another, then another - until you've got a full-blown trade war. No one ever wins, and consumers always get screwed.

Mark McKinnon

Tariffs that save jobs in the steel industry mean higher steel prices, which in turn means fewer sales of American steel products around the world and losses of far more jobs than are saved.

Thomas Sowell

President Donald Trump holds up a chart while speaking during a “Make America Wealthy Again” trade announcement event in the Rose Garden at the White House on April 2, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Chip Somodevilla/Getty

It has been some time since I have been able to write this blog. My computer has had problems, but for now, the old girl is working.

The quotes above are reflections on the results of implementing tariffs. However, I learned early on from listening to Donald Trump, Peter Navarro, Kevin O'Leary, and the Secretary of the Treasury, Scott Bessent, that this implementation of tariffs was different.

What many pundits missed or ignored was the fact that this use of tariffs was not going to be used traditionally as a punishment for competing with our manufacturing. As the plan unfolded, it became clear that President Trump was using tariffs as a tool to herd the world's production into the US sphere of influence. The US trade deficit is astronomical and driving us towards bankruptcy. Other countries have been taxing us through exorbitant tariffs for years. This represents a good portion of our 37 trillion dollar debt.

We have seen many countries falling in line with Trump's plan. Key players are the EU, Britain, India, Japan, Italy, France, South Korea, and Vietnam. Some 70-plus countries are in line to lower tariffs and work with the US. All but Vietnam are coming onboard, and China is worried. They have placed a high tariff on US goods because Donald Trump hit China with a 145% tariff on most of the Chinese products. China has placed a 125% tariff on US goods. Keep in mind the US imports way more than the Chinese allow of US-manufactured products into their country.

The Chinese are sellers. They sell lots more to the US than they allow into their country from

the US. China needs the US to be buyers. If this trade situation is not stopped, China will be in serious financial difficulty. Their plans for world domination will be crippled and their people will start to suffer. Workers will lose jobs, plants will close, and life will become unbearable in China. The regime must make a decision. Is it time to play nice with the US, or will they dig in their heels and fight the US? What would be their tactic if they can not pay workers and their military? Will General Secretary Xi Jinping risk a rebellion? Donald Trump is the master of The Art of the Deal. I can't wait to see how this plays out.