TRUMP MAKES A DEAL

[endicom]

Power Line
John Hinderaker
July 25, 2018

I have argued repeatedly that talk of a trade war is vastly overblown. It seems obvious that President Trump has properly staked out positions in defense of American interests with several trading partners, including the European Union, Mexico and China. His purpose is not to ignite a trade war, if such can be avoided, but rather to negotiate fairer and more favorable terms.

That view was vindicated today, as to the EU, by a joint White House appearance between President Trump and European Union Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker in which they announced an agreement that will obviate threatened tariff impositions on both sides:

More... https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2018/07/trump-makes-a-deal.php

[Wingnut]

The press and "experts" were played once again.


 

[endicom]

The press and "experts" were played once again.


 

I don't believe in absolutes so I'm not expecting a libertarian, free-market ending to this. Just something better.

[Right_in_Virginia]

The press and "experts" were played once again.


 

They weren't played, exactly.  As candidate and the President, Donald Trump has been steadfastly clear on what he wanted to do.

The press and the "experts" refused to believe him.

[EasyAce]

It may not be a deal yet, just an agreement to work toward one:

In a joint statement, Trump and Juncker agreed to "work together towards zero tariffs, zero non-tariff barriers, and zero subsidies on non-auto industrial goods," but offered few specifics beyond the vague promises to increase soybean and natural gas trade. The two leaders also promised "to launch a close dialogue on standards in order to ease trade, reduce bureaucratic obstacles, and slash costs." Again, that all sounds great but it leaves out the important details about how those things will be accomplished.

In the end, what Trump and Juncker outlined Wednesday sounds more like a handshake deal that could lead to a formal deal—but also might not.

"It's just a big nothingburger," Dan Ikenson, director of the Cato Institute's Center for Trade Policy Studies, told Reason. "As expected, there were no agreements reached."

Though, he added, "at least Juncker and Trump got some face time."

That the two sides are talking and at least trying to give the impression of working towards a deal is important, but it's probably right to remain skeptical of Wednesday's supposed deal.

After all, we've seen this page from the Trump playbook before. In April, shortly after slapping tariffs on steel and aluminum imports and targeting $34 billion worth of Chinese goods with additional tariffs, Trump met with Chinese officials in Washington. What at first seemed to be a productive meeting that reportedly included concessions from China ended up being little more than a brief respite before further escalations ensued. The two sides now seem to be much farther apart, with Trump threatening last week to place tariffs on literally all goods imported from China and Chinese officials recently telling Politico that they don't even know what Trump's goals are—something that makes it decidedly more difficult to engage in serious negotiations.

Hopefully, Wednesday's agreement between Trump and Juncker is a more significant deal—or at least the pathway to a more significant deal. Only time will tell.

----Eric Boehm, Reason, 25 July 2018.

(Emphasis added.)

[Concerned]

It may not be a deal yet, just an agreement to work toward one:

In a joint statement, Trump and Juncker agreed to "work together towards zero tariffs, zero non-tariff barriers, and zero subsidies on non-auto industrial goods," but offered few specifics beyond the vague promises to increase soybean and natural gas trade. The two leaders also promised "to launch a close dialogue on standards in order to ease trade, reduce bureaucratic obstacles, and slash costs." Again, that all sounds great but it leaves out the important details about how those things will be accomplished.

In the end, what Trump and Juncker outlined Wednesday sounds more like a handshake deal that could lead to a formal deal—but also might not.

"It's just a big nothingburger," Dan Ikenson, director of the Cato Institute's Center for Trade Policy Studies, told Reason. "As expected, there were no agreements reached."

Though, he added, "at least Juncker and Trump got some face time."

That the two sides are talking and at least trying to give the impression of working towards a deal is important, but it's probably right to remain skeptical of Wednesday's supposed deal.

After all, we've seen this page from the Trump playbook before. In April, shortly after slapping tariffs on steel and aluminum imports and targeting $34 billion worth of Chinese goods with additional tariffs, Trump met with Chinese officials in Washington. What at first seemed to be a productive meeting that reportedly included concessions from China ended up being little more than a brief respite before further escalations ensued. The two sides now seem to be much farther apart, with Trump threatening last week to place tariffs on literally all goods imported from China and Chinese officials recently telling Politico that they don't even know what Trump's goals are—something that makes it decidedly more difficult to engage in serious negotiations.

Hopefully, Wednesday's agreement between Trump and Juncker is a more significant deal—or at least the pathway to a more significant deal. Only time will tell.

----Eric Boehm, Reason, 25 July 2018.

(Emphasis added.)

Sounds like a classic Trump PR-stunt with nothing of definitive substance agreed to (yet) -- just like North Korea.     Hopefully, the real negotiators will be able to sit down and hammer out a real agreement with the EU (and Canada) to truly end these stupid and destructive tariffs. As noted above, time will tell though.

[Victoria33]

Sounds like a classic Trump PR-stunt with nothing of definitive substance agreed to (yet) -- just like North Korea.     Hopefully, the real negotiators will be able to sit down and hammer out a real agreement with the EU (and Canada) to truly end these stupid and destructive tariffs. As noted above, time will tell though.

@Concerned

Trump wants the TV photo op so he appears like the big man/dictator; once that is completed, he forget about it and goes to the next TV photo op.  The goal is to be on TV every day.  He sees his job as an actor on a TV program, trying for higher ratings.

[Sanguine]

They weren't played, exactly.  As candidate and the President, Donald Trump has been steadfastly clear on what he wanted to do.

The press and the "experts" refused to believe him.

As we all know, Trump says a lot of things.  I put no stock in what he says; only what he does.

[Wingnut]

As we all know, Trump says a lot of things.  I put no stock in what he says; only what he does.

You are wise oh great one!   

[Frank Cannon]

TRUMP MAKES A DEAL

Oh boy! Did he pick the right curtain or did he get a Zonk?

[GrouchoTex]

TRUMP MAKES A DEAL

Oh boy! Did he pick the right curtain or did he get a Zonk?

When I first saw the headline, Monty Hall came to mind.
Good Job.

[Wingnut]

A Gremlin X.    Cool!   Always wanted one. 

[Frank Cannon]

A Gremlin X.    Cool!   Always wanted one.

Oh. I thought that was one of the Zonks. My bad.

[Wingnut]

Oh. I thought that was one of the Zonks. My bad.

Go figure!   If it was a Tesla 3 it would have been!