“The president is fighting the war on drugs, not the trade war.” So Peter Navarro explainedsenior trade and manufacturing counselors in the Trump administration have explained President Trump’s plan to impose 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada, and have said he would shut down illegal and illegal drug traffic to both countries. We are making efforts to pressure them to strengthen their work. Illegal aliens. Trump uses tariffs, or more precisely, tariff threats, as tools for foreign and national security policies, rather than economic policy.
This should surprise anyone, whether at home or abroad. Since the 1980sTrump was a consistent voice in favor of using tariffs to “fight back” with trading partners who think they’ve used us and induce changes in behavior in other countries.
He used them in his first term, and even for the same purpose for the same country – motivated Mexico to do more to arrest illegal immigration streams to the United States. Even if his administration was negotiating in May 2019 US-Mexico-Canada Contract To replace NAFTA, Trump threatens to impose a 5% tariff on all imports from our biggest trading partners if he is not satisfied with Mexico increasing its efforts. Ta.significantly reduceor exclude illegal immigration from Mexico to the United States. ”
He issued a threat on May 30th. By June 7th, Mexico had fallen into a cave. Mexico has agreed to take new steps to help stop the flow of illegal immigration to the United States. A squad of 6,000 people Along with Guatemala, a source of many illegal immigration passing through Mexico, Mexico’s southern border agreed to housing immigrants seeking US asylum while the US government arbitrates their demands . This was the basis of the policy of “staying in Mexico” and successfully supported the management of illegal immigrants across the southern border.
Trump isn’t just a threat to tariffs. As his first tariffs on China show, he is willing to impose them and stick to them. He began in 2018 I will impose customs duties Solar panels and washing machine Added tariffs on steel and aluminum Imported items and other items. That’s how many of those tariffs were Stored in place It was even expanded by Joe Biden.
And just a week after Trump took his second oath of office, when the Columbia president refused to accept those who retired from the US, Trump poses tariff threats in his second appointment. Don’t forget you used it. I wanted something better: Immediately Trump was informed that Colombia had refused to accept the repatriated exile. threatened to impose customs duties Unless the President of Colombia is merciless. It didn’t take long. Rather than immediately agreeing to accept the repatriated deportees, the President of Colombia deployed a presidential plane to retrieve some of them.
“Colombian government A statement issued by the White House Press Secretary’s Secretary said. “What’s happening today makes it clear to the world that America is once again respected. President Trump continues to vigorously protect our country’s sovereignty, and he has made every other country in the world to come to the US. We hope we will fully cooperate in accepting illegally expelling citizens.”
America is the world’s largest economy. According to the latest one World Bank figuresthe US economy’s gross domestic product in 2023 was $27.7 trillion, the world’s largest economy. Our closest competitor, China, was $17.7 trillion in 2023 GDP. In other words, our economy is more than half of China’s economy. And Mexico? Mexico’s economy has generated $1.8 trillion, or about 6% of its GDP.
That imbalance gives Trump a huge international advantage. Everyone wants (and needs) access to the US economy. It’s not that they can find a big market anywhere else. If they want to be involved in international commerce, they want to be in the US market.
That simple fact is a weapon in Trump’s hands that he can act on behalf of the outcome he wants, a sword that he can bring into any argument he wants. All he has to do is threaten it to release it from the sheath. Even his first term and his second term (even before he took office for a month), he becomes an international leader who is willing to use that weapon if he feels necessary. It is shown. To him, tariffs are not economic policy tools, as they are weapons of foreign and national security policies. He will swing them around on our behalf, and make America great again, as the people of America want.
Jenny Beth Martin is honorary chairman of Tea Party Patriot Action.
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