Trump’s Tariffs Have Sown Uncertainty. That Might Be the Point.

X.com ^ | March 19, 2025 Updated 11:58 a.m. ET | Alan Rappeport

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Since taking office, President Trump and his advisers have explained the president’s aggressive economic approach to tariffs with a litany of conflicting ideas. Other countries are “ripping off” America and need to be stopped. The United States is fighting a drug war with Canada, Mexico and China. Tariffs will help pay down the nation’s $36 trillion debt load.

The messaging hodgepodge comes as the U.S. economy shows signs of strain in response to Mr. Trump’s steep tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China and as he prepares to enact “reciprocal” tariffs on imports from around the world on April 2.

The tariffs have sowed uncertainty and dampened business investment and consumer sentiment while sending markets gyrating daily. They are also likely to prevent the Federal Reserve from cutting rates as policymakers wait to see exactly what measures Mr. Trump follows through with and how they affect the economy.

But rather than trying to provide more coherence about their economic strategy, Mr. Trump and his advisers seem to be embracing the uncertainty of his approach as a feature, not a bug.

“Absolutely, between now and April 2, there’ll be some uncertainty,” Kevin Hassett, the director of the White House’s National Economic Council, said on CNBC this week amid questions about what investors are to make of Mr. Trump’s trade agenda.

Tracking Trump’s First 100 Days ›

The Trump administration’s previous actions on North American tariffs

• March 11 Notified Canada that its citizens would need to register when crossing the border into the United States ›
• March 11 Walked back plans to double metal tariffs on Canada after escalating threats ›

[E. Pluribus Unum]

It's called "flooding the zone."

They used lawfare to do it. Trump is using tariffs.

[packagingguy]

Couldn’t governments just use tariffs for revenue and lower or eliminate income taxes?

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Couldn’t governments just use tariffs for revenue and lower or eliminate income taxes?

Where have you been?

https://www.foxbusiness.com/media/trump-proposes-abolishment-federal-income-tax-bringing-us-back-richest-period-history

[TexasFreeper2009]

IMO this is also an attempt to force the feds hand on interest rates also.

[Bobbyvotes]

Why you want to do that? Why you want US economy to boom into stratosphere? Why you want productive Americans to be wealthy?

Just follow Obama/Biden doctrine of keeping USA over taxed, over regulated, push for expensive green energy to disadvantage American manufacturing, and let USA become third world. /S

[central_va]

Since the USA has been raped over trade so long they (most Americans) don't “understand” tariffs. Trump is trying to teach us to get on our feet. Plus tariffs raise a lot of debt relieving revenue. Win-Win.

[Codeflier]

That is exactly what I think is happening. All this talk and confusion slows down the economy quickly. The fed lowers the rates, then voila the tariff issue suddenly “stabilizes”, but with lower interest rates as we round into 2026 and get ready for the next election in November of that year, with the economy really heating up.

[woodbutcher1963]

Housing starts were up to 1.5 million yesterday. The highest in a couple years. Mostly based on an increase in single family residences.
This may have been based on people who were planning on building this year and decided to get their new house framed up prior to any ADDITIONAL tariffs take effect.

I say additional because we currently have approximately 20% countervailing duty and anti dumping on all Canadian Softwood lumber imports. In addition, the anti dumping is going to be increased another 8% in about 5 months. The commerce department is reviewing the duty currently. Which is also expected to be raised. So, we already may have a 30% CVD/Anti Dumping being assessed against Canadian Lumber by the fall.

FYI, we have had a duty/anti dumping on Canadian softwood lumber for thirty years.