Narativ with Zev Shalev

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Trump Tariffs Are A Con Job
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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:

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Zev Shalev
Apr 02, 2025
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Narativ with Zev Shalev
Trump Tariffs Are A Con Job
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The Phony Math Behind Trump's Tariff Rate

Trump's team invented a completely irrelevant calculation that has nothing to do with tariffs:

  1. Take the US trade deficit with each country

  2. Divide by that country's exports to the US

  3. 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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