Why Trump Unleashed Tariff Chaos
In this Bloomberg Originals weekly documentary, we unpack Donald Trump’s reasons for the trade war and whether it can accomplish his goals.
Illustration: Christian Capestany
Takeaways NEW
Stocks fell sharply again Thursday, erasing memories of a Wednesday dip-buying spree triggered by Donald Trump’s partial retreat on tariffs. The reason for a return to red? The Republican president fired off a new salvo in China’s direction while investors woke up still worried that more unpleasant surprises might be on the way—something known as “toxic uncertainty.”
But the White House has said this is all part of the plan: keeping other nations (if not markets) off balance will end in great trade deals for the US. Trump has said that, after some short-term pain, his tariff strategy will position the country for a “golden age” of growth. On the Bloomberg Originals weekly documentary Why Trump Unleashed Tariff Chaos, we take a look at the reasons Trump has given for his trade war, and whether they could actually achieve the goals he’s set out.