“Trump will always chicken out”
US president Donald Trump holds a chart as he delivers remarks on reciprocal tariffs at the White House on April 2. Photo: Getty
When Donald Trump returned to the White House he immediately flagged his intention to make tariffs a central element of US policy. That was in line with consistent promises during his successful electoral campaign.
In his inauguration speech on January 20, the incoming US president announced the establishment of an ‘External Revenue Service’ to collect all tariffs, duties, and revenues, promising “massive amounts of money pouring into our Treasury, coming from foreign sources”.
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