> Unfortunately, the taxes in question are also targeting imports from Canada and Mexico, two countries that are firmly in the US sphere of influence
It is a negotiation tactic with those two countries. It is meant to get changes on issues like border security, but also fairness given existing tariffs are often unbalanced. But also, there are a lot of imports from those countries that are basically Chinese tariff evasion.
> It is a negotiation tactic with those two countries.
It is an incoherent and amateur negotiation tactic. If the US can't secure the southern border on its own, what makes anyone think that Mexico is going to be able to do a better job at that? Naturally, we are ignoring for the moment that the majority of illegal immigration does not happen at the border in the first place. As for fairness, maybe Trump should have addressed that when he timidly rubber-stamped NAFTA 2 during his first term. And you're not going to beat "Chinese tax evasion" in this way without charging these taxes on every country on Earth.
These import taxes are performative posturing. Please stop trying to paint them as part of some brilliantly motivated campaign.
I think that bullying mostly works when you don't have a potential consumer base that's bigger than the bully. I know it's not going to last long, but over the night shift from "America good, China bad" to "well, China at least doesn't belittle us every minute, so screw the states" has been very interesting to watch up here in Canada.
It is a negotiation tactic with those two countries. It is meant to get changes on issues like border security, but also fairness given existing tariffs are often unbalanced. But also, there are a lot of imports from those countries that are basically Chinese tariff evasion.