US, China customs tariffs

Views that they will destroy the global economy are erroneous

The US trade deficit with China is huge and Donald Trump feels it should be reduced. In the past, then President George W Bush had also increased steel tariffs for similar reasons but removed them a year later. Nevertheless, feverish activity has taken place from the current US administration in April and May as its highest economic officials — Treasury Secretary, Commerce Secretary, White House trade adviser, economic adviser, and the US trade representative and his deputy — explained, in no uncertain terms and rather unusually, Mr Trump’s intentions, even as the President himself made his usual myriad statements. 

The intention