EconAir

SUMMARY AND UPDATE (2/26)   President Trump's tariff offensive has been a failure in its main objectives of narrowing the U.S. trade deficit or reducing China's trade surplus. China's trade surplus was larger in 2025 than in 2024. Reduced exports to the United States was more than made up by a large increase of exports to the rest of the world, including rerouting exports to the U.S. through Asian countries and Mexico.  America's trade deficit in goods in 2025 was higher than in 2024. The overall trade deficit stayed the same as the higher goods deficit was offset by a larger trade surplus in services. Growth in total exports was about the same as growth in total imports. Total imports were $4.7 trillion; total exports were $3.4 trillion. The trade deficit was $901 billion, almost exactly the same as in 2025. As of January 19, 2026, the average tariff rate was 16.9%. The increased cost of American imports is mostly paid by American consumers. The government collected so...

I HEARD THE NEWS TODAY THESE ARE NOT SATIRES. TRUMP AND HIS OFFICIALS ARE TRYING TO PUT ME OUT OF BUSINESS! President Trump has ordered new tariffs on Canada, using a law passed in the Depression. Among other products, it puts an increased tariff on importing Canadian hockey sticks. Trump also banned importing smoke from Canadian wildfires.   The Defense Department has designated its press office as a classified space, off limits to journalists. In the sixth attempt to apply tariffs, the Trump administration announced tariffs on countries with forced labor or importing products made with forced labor. The tariffs were imposed on 86 countries. Among the countries exempted  from tariffs were the only six countries, besides China, the U.S. has accused of using forced  labor. One country apparently accused of using illegal, forced labor was Switzerland. An American spokesperson pointed out the "gnomes of Zurich" as an example. President Trump has extorted over $400 milli...