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!   The latest budget included $47 billion to extend the anti-immigration wall along the US southern border with Mexico. This is the largest infrastructure project since the interstate highway system. There is some confusion about why it is being built since there is almost no immigration along the border. One theory is that it is suppose to keep retired Republican ex-pats from leaving the country and spending their Social Security benefits in Mexico. Also, it replaces the Statue of Liberty as the symbol of America. 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. Since all 86 export to the US, Trump has imposed tariffs on th...