Can Trump Fix His FUBAR Tariff Rollout? I & I Editorial Board

[mystery-ak]

Can Trump Fix His FUBAR Tariff Rollout?
I & I Editorial Board
April 15, 2025


So far, President Donald Trump has been piloting his second term like Maverick from “Top Gun.” With one exception. The tariff rollout has been FUBAR, which is troubling since it’s Trump’s signature economic policy issue.

There have been glaring missteps along the way, repeated pauses, confused and conflicting messaging, turf wars. It’s draining public support and causing real economic problems as businesses can’t make plans while all this is in flux.

We aren’t privy to insider gossip to speculate why this is. But we can say that Trump needs to get his tariff act together, and fast.

Consider what has transpired in just the past two weeks:

more
https://issuesinsights.com/2025/04/15/can-trump-fix-his-fubar-tariff-rollout/

[DefiantMassRINO]

[Canuck Conservative]

Good article.

"Forbes has counted eight flip-flops by the administration on tariffs and trade since Liberation Day.

Meanwhile, there’s news that two camps in the White House are fighting for dominance – team tariff, led by Peter Navarro, and team econ, led by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

Here’s how Semafor put it:

President Donald Trump’s economic advisers are becoming a team of rivals … Ask Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, White House trade adviser Peter Navarro, and National Economic Council director Kevin Hassett about negotiating on tariffs, for example — and you’ll hear four different answers ….

The mixed messages point to fundamental disagreements within the administration about how to address trade deficits, according to more than a dozen lawmakers, lobbyists and analysts interviewed for this story. Trump’s advisers sound united behind the spirit of his trade agenda but far less aligned on its execution — differences driven by both personality and ideology." ...

[DefiantMassRINO]

Tariffs are a stick to motivate onshoring of more of the US supply chain.  There also need to be carrots to encourage long-term capital investment in the United States.

Tariffs can be imposed and removed with a stroke of the pen.

Capital investment requires long-term stable, predictable return on investment.  Not all factory construction is completed.  Not all constructed factories open.  Not all open factories are profitable enough.

The United States needs to provide a business environment that makes manufacturing in the US a competitive advantage for companies.

Give CEO's a reason to invest profits in long-term capital projects versus share buybacks.

[berdie]

Tariffs are a stick to motivate onshoring of more of the US supply chain.  There also need to be carrots to encourage long-term capital investment in the United States.

Tariffs can be imposed and removed with a stroke of the pen.

Capital investment requires long-term stable, predictable return on investment.  Not all factory construction is completed.  Not all constructed factories open.  Not all open factories are profitable enough.

The United States needs to provide a business environment that makes manufacturing in the US a competitive advantage for companies.

Give CEO's a reason to invest profits in long-term capital projects versus share buybacks.

Exactly. I'm not convinced in my mind that DJT has thought this all thru. As evidenced by his recent "pause" on electronic tariffs. Even he himself said we don't have the access here in this country to manufacture those things today. That applies to many other imports as well.

[jmyrlefuller]

Exactly. I'm not convinced in my mind that DJT has thought this all thru. As evidenced by his recent "pause" on electronic tariffs. Even he himself said we don't have the access here in this country to manufacture those things today. That applies to many other imports as well.

Well, we never will as long as it isn't cost-effective to do that. And as long as Red China continues to undercut the markets, it will never be cost-effective. And as long as the U.S. keeps going into sovereign debt borrowing from Red China, they will never stop Red China from flooding the markets with that junk.