Trump Tariffs Are A Con Job
Trump's "reciprocal tariffs" policy isn't just bad economics - it's a mathematical fraud so transparent it's stunning he announced it with charts on live TV. Here's what's happening:
The Phony Math Behind Trump's Tariff Rate
Trump's team invented a completely irrelevant calculation that has nothing to do with tariffs:
Take the US trade deficit with each country
Divide by that country's exports to the US
Call this meaningless number a "tariff rate"
Example: Indonesia exports $28B to us with a $17.9B deficit. $17.9B ÷ $28B = 64%, which Trump labels "Indonesia's tariff on America"
This is like claiming your mortgage payment represents your home's temperature - the numbers have no relation whatsoever.
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