Trump tariffs: The art of the steel
President Donald Trump is mulling a plan to impose tariffs on Chinese imports to protect U.S. intellectual property.
In an op-ed piece in the Wall Street Journal, FOX Business’ Melissa Francis argues that Trump’s tariff plan is a negotiation tactic against trade deals that the administration says has been hurting the U.S. economy.
“[Trump] always begins by taking a loud and outlandish position far outside the current discussion. That resets the negotiation. He shocks the parties at both ends of the table, then watches as the back-and-forth begins,” Francis writes.
Forbes Media Chairman Steve Forbes tells Francis that the Trump administration must couple the tariffs on China with a greater military presence in the region.
“You are not going to turn the South China Sea, which is international water, into a Chinese lake,” he said during an interview on FOX Business’ “After the Bell.”
Although Trump’s negotiating style in business may not translate as expected in the world politics, Francis writes that the administration’s approach to steel and aluminum tariffs may be used as leverage for the president to implement the best trade policy that benefits the U.S. economy.
Click here to read more from Melissa Francis in the Wall Street Journal.