After creating a confusing and chaotic mess with China tariffs, Trump has a rendezvous with reality and backs off.

After weeks of grim news from all fronts on the perils of President Trump’s stupid and gratuitous tariff showdown with China, Trump finally gave in yesterday and suspended the imposition of ultra-high tariffs on Chinese imports for 90 days. He brought them down to 30%, which is still higher than their 20% average of the last few years, but probably manageable for most consumers. Maybe the president finally figured out that there’s a reason the Wall Street Journal called Trump’s tariff offensive against China, Canada and Mexico “the dumbest trade war in history.” 

We earlier got a reality-imposed  reprieve on Mexican and Canadian tariffs, but Trump, until just a few days ago, was standing fast on his ridiculous plan to tariff Chinese products at 145%. The plan has had its effect on Chinese shipments to the United States, with major west coast ports reporting that Chinese traffic has dropped precipitously. 

It isn’t too tough to figure out the effects of the shipping slowdown on consumers in the United States, with warnings of empty shelves greeting shoppers all over the country being blasted throughout the media. I doubt that a frustrated public was buying into Trump’s message that it’s OK for us to suffer some short-term pain in order to reap the glorious economic benefits that would result.

In fact, I’d be surprised if anybody bought into that rhetorical baloney, which sounded something like early 20th century communists in Russia telling their starving peasants that they’d be worshipped by succeeding generations living in a socialist paradise thanks to their present-day sacrifices. 

Basically, I think Trump got tired of believing his own bull and snapped into reality, giving all of us a 90-day breather before we have to deal with all this economic brinksmanship again.  I wish somebody would get it across to the president that we’re sick of it.

In the meantime, farmers in South Dakota have to deal with the uncertainties of crop prices as markets fluctuate with the whims of a president who can’t seem to hold a coherent message together for more than a few weeks at a time.

On another front, South Dakota’s tourism sector seems likely to feel some downside pressure from Trump’s impossibly inconsistent approach to international economic relations. South Dakota News Watch reports that our state’s top tourism officials are bracing for a down summer thanks to Trump’s mishandling of our economy and trade relations. 

Trump touts himself as the master of “the art of the deal,” but with the creation of a trade war in which the U.S. has no allies and little support on the homefront he seems more like a master of self-delusion.

John Tsitrian is a businessman and writer from the Black Hills. He was a weekly columnist for the Rapid City Journal for 20 years. His articles and commentary have also appeared in The Los Angeles Times, The Denver Post and The Omaha World-Herald. Tsitrian served in the Marines for three years (1966-69), including a 13-month tour of duty as a radioman in Vietnam. Republish with permission.

Photo: public domain, wikimedia commons

The South Dakota Standard is offered freely and is supported by our readers. We have no political or commercial sponsorship. If you'd like to help us continue our mission to advance independent political and social commentary, you can do so by clicking on the "Donate" button that's on the sidebar to your right.

Until 2025, tariffs on China were around 20%, so Trump’s outlandish imposition of 145% tariffs soon after what he dubbed “liberation day” turned the global trading matrix into something that resembled anarchy. Yesterday Trump came to grips with reality and backed off in what I believe will be dubbed “capitulation day.”

Maybe the president finally figured out that there’s a reason the Wall Street Journal called Trump’s tariff offensive against China, Canada and Mexico “the dumbest trade war in history.” 

We earlier got a reality-imposed  reprieve on Mexican and Canadian tariffs from the president, but Trump, until just a few days ago was standing fast on his senseless plan to tariff Chinese products at 145%. The rate has had its effect on Chinese shipments to the United States, with major west coast ports reporting that Chinese traffic has dropped precipitously. 

It isn’t too tough to figure out the effects of the shipping slowdown on consumers in the United States, with warnings of empty shelves greeting shoppers all over the country being blasted throughout the media. I doubt that a frustrated public was buying into Trump’s message that it’s OK for us to suffer some short-term pain in order to reap the glorious economic benefits that would result.

In fact, I’d be surprised if anybody bought into that rhetorical baloney, which sounded something like early 20th century communist leaders in Russia telling their starving peasants that they’d be worshipped by succeeding generations living in a socialist paradise thanks to their present-day sacrifices. 

Basically, I believe, Trump got tired of believing his own bull and snapped into reality, giving all of us a 90-day breather before we have to deal with all this economic brinksmanship again.  I wish somebody would get it across to the president that we’re sick of it.

In the meantime, farmers in South Dakota have to deal with the uncertainties of crop prices as markets fluctuate with the whims of a president who can’t seem to hold a coherent message together for more than a few weeks at a time.

On another front, South Dakota’s tourism sector seems likely to feel some downside pressure from Trump’s impossibly inconsistent approach to international economic relations. South Dakota News Watch reports that our state’s top tourism officials are bracing for a down summer thanks to Trump’s mishandling of our economy and trade relations. 

Trump touts himself as the master of “the art of the deal,” but since his inauguration this year the president has shown us that what he’s really the master of is not being able to grasp the implications of his poorly thought out policies.  

John Tsitrian is a businessman and writer from the Black Hills. He was a weekly columnist for the Rapid City Journal for 20 years. His articles and commentary have also appeared in The Los Angeles Times, The Denver Post and The Omaha World-Herald. Tsitrian served in the Marines for three years (1966-69), including a 13-month tour of duty as a radioman in Vietnam. Republish with permission.

Photo: public domain, wikimedia commons

The South Dakota Standard is offered freely and is supported by our readers. We have no political or commercial sponsorship. If you'd like to help us continue our mission to advance independent political and social commentary, you can do so by clicking on the "Donate" button that's on the sidebar to your right.