Trump’s Tariff Plan Explained: What He Really Wants from Japan, Korea, and the World by Aug 1 | APT
Are the tariff letters that you sent today final offers or are they negotiable or less final offers? President Donald Trump is once again putting tariffs at the center of his trade agenda. As an August 1st deadline looms for higher tariffs on countries like Japan and South Korea, many are asking the same question. So South Korea, Japan should take it away. are always subject to negotiate something that’s fair, but we’ve talked to most of the countries and uh pretty much they’ve had their way for many many decades. As tariffs, explained what Trump really wants. Tariffs have become the cornerstone of Trump’s secondterm economic policy. But why? What does Trump want from these trade deals? Let’s break it down into four key goals. Restoring American manufacturing. First, Trump wants to bring back factory jobs to the US. His strategy, punish companies that manufacture overseas and reward those that build in America. Companies like Apple, GE appliances, and GM have announced billions in US investments. But many of these decisions were already in motion before the tariffs. And while there were early gains, US manufacturing jobs are actually down since Trump took office. The Labor Department recently reported over 400,000 manufacturing job vacancies, mostly due to a shortage of skilled labor, raising us revenue. Trump has also pitched tariffs as a way to raise massive revenue, even suggesting they could replace income taxes. We’ve already taken in over hund00 billion worth of tariffs and we haven’t even started. But the math doesn’t add up. To replace $3 trillion in income taxes, tariffs would have to be set at 200%. On everything right now, Trump’s tariffs bring in about $20 billion a month, less than $100 billion total since he returned to office. Fixing the trade balance. Trump sees tariffs as a way to level the playing field and force foreign countries to lower their barriers. In April, the trade deficit dropped from $130 billion to just $60 billion, a temporary win. But experts say the change was more about shock adjustments than long-term shifts. Imports fell, but so did foreign demand for US goods. And once some tariffs were lifted, the trade gap widened again, pressuring foreign governments. Finally, Trump uses tariffs as a diplomatic weapon. He calls them a cost of doing business in America. This week, he warned South Korea and Japan of 25% tariffs starting August 1st. Canada backed off its digital tax just days after Trump threatened tariffs and trade suspension. I would firm. No, I would say firm, but not 100% firm. If they call up and they say would like to do something a different way, we’re going to be open to that. But essentially, that’s the way it is right now, you know. But this tactic isn’t foolproof. Despite threats, fentinel continues to enter the US, and Apple hasn’t moved iPhone production stateside. Some companies and countries simply don’t bend to the pressure. The big contradiction. Here’s the paradox. Trump wants tariffs to do everything. Bring back jobs, raise money, fix trade imbalances, and pressure allies. But as economists point out, you can’t have it all. If tariffs succeed and companies bring production home, there’s no foreign import and therefore no tariff revenue. If a country agrees to Trump’s demands, the tariffs must go away. And if tariffs stay too high, they could hurt American consumers. Tariffs can be a powerful tool, but they’re not a magic wand. As the August 1st deadline approaches, the world is watching whether Trump’s tariff strategy will pay off or collapse under its own contradictions.
President Donald Trump is ramping up his global trade strategy ahead of a critical August 1 deadline. From punishing tariffs on Japan and South Korea to promises of massive U.S. factory investments, Trump says tariffs will fix America’s economy. But can one policy deliver jobs, revenue, trade fairness, and diplomatic wins all at once? In this video, we break down Trump’s 4-point tariff strategy — and the contradictions within.
#TrumpTariffs #TradeWar #Trump2025 #GlobalTrade #TariffExplained #USChina #USJapan #USKorea #ManufacturingJobs
1 Comment
There isn’t just one contradiction in the Trump agenda.