
US President Donald Trump speaks to the press after signing an executive order, alongside US Secretary of Commerce nominee Howard Lutnick (right), in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on February 10, 2025. — AFP
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After promising to remove “The Big One”, President Donald Trump signed a move on February 13 that his administration was instructed to propose a period of so -called mutual rates with the world. Could resume US trade relations. If many countries are levied more taxes on exporting the world’s largest economy, the United States is at risk of inflation and the slowdown of economic activity everywhere. According to Bloomberg, Trump’s nominee, Howard Lotank, to lead the Trump department, said the proposals could be ready by the beginning of April.
What are mutual revenue?
When used in the context of trade, the term “mutual” usually refers to the actions of both sides to ensure justice in bilateral trade. In recent decades, this usually means reducing trade barriers. In the United States, the 1934 bilateral trade agreements Act identified the end of the US protectionism period and allowed the United States and partners to discuss lower taxes on each other’s goods.
Trump and his advisers argue that the methods of many US trade partners have put American businesses to the competitive advantage of US business, at the expense of US manufacturing. During the first Trump administration, Commerce Secretary Wilber Ross suggested that US Jackups be applied to the partners to meet their imported taxes. Under this “ideal” trading system, he said, when other countries did, the United States would only reduce these rates.
How will mutual taxes work?
According to a copy of the memo distributed by the White House, each US trade partner has to customize new import taxes. The purpose is to not only meet the commercial partner’s own taxes on US goods, but other factors considered to harm US manufacturers, such as subsidized business such as unfair, regulations, value -added taxes ( Vats), viewed as exchange. Rates, and intellectual property concerns.
These so -called “non -tariff barriers” are difficult to correct, which creates a huge challenge for the US trade representative and the Department of Commerce, which is proposed by the country on the basis of the country. –
Mutual prices can be implemented in multiple ways: they can be applied as an average tariff on specific products, whole industries, or goods coming from a particular country. Theoretically, the United States can reduce the prices in some cases, for the purpose of deployment. For their purposes, it seems that Trump’s protection is not given.
How are Trump’s universal prices different from mutual rates?
During his election campaign, Trump had threatened that imports from all countries other than China would impose a global price of 20 %. In fact, it threatened 60 % prices on imports from China, but since then they have been priced at 10 %. A mutual policy will be developed more according to the characteristics of each trade relationship. This shows that some countries – especially those who have some obstacles to American companies – can be termed as largely exempt.
Which countries stand to lose?
If the United States is similar to the specific levies placed by the highest tax on US goods, the emerging market countries will be the most affected. According to the Bloomberg Economics, most of India, Argentina and Africa and Southeast Asia will be the most exposed, which compared tariff rates between the United States and its trade partners.
But most of the world may be affected, provided the Trump administration is seeing the most common definition of trade “justice” of trade. The United States has a total trade deficit, which means it imports more than imports from the United States from other countries, and Trump considers this imbalance basically unfair.
It has repeatedly expressed regret over the US -made goods sold in other countries, especially the European Union’s 15 % VAT prices. Japan also has a VAT, known as consumption tax.
What is the scope of conversation?
Nazir suggests that Trump likes to shoot first, talks second. During his first term as President, he provided tariff waivers to some countries and some imports after lobbying for domestic industries, which were affected by levies. China avoided the extra tariff period in 2019 after promising to buy billions more in important US goods, including agricultural commodities. In early February, Trump delayed 25 % of imports from Mexico and Canada, when both US neighbors agreed to take drastic measures to tackle migration and drug trafficking on the border.
Nevertheless, there are signs that Trump will be tough on trade during his second term. One case: It initially indicated that Australia could be exempted from steel and aluminum prices, which they intend to impose on all countries. Later, his commercial adviser threw cold water, saying that the Australian aluminum was “killing” the American industry.
Are the mutual revenues fair?
It depends on whether your “fair” definition is quite flexible
Countries at various stages of economic development. Emerging markets pay more taxes on import of some goods to protect domestic industries and jobs. News News Desk