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Rising US fiscal risk signals dollar weakness and yield spike ahead: Jahangir Aziz
Rising US fiscal risk signals dollar weakness and yield spike ahead: Jahangir Aziz

Economic Times

timea day ago

  • Business
  • Economic Times

Rising US fiscal risk signals dollar weakness and yield spike ahead: Jahangir Aziz

So, with the increase in fiscal deficit and reduced foreign borrowing, the US might experience higher yields and a weaker dollar, as the government's actions increase the risk premium on the country. This is how I see the dollar and US yields moving. Synopsis JPMorgan's Jahangir Aziz highlights the potential impact of a July 31st court ruling on existing tariffs, overshadowing the August 1st deadline. The court's decision on IEEPA could invalidate current trade deals and lead to prolonged uncertainty. Despite market resilience, the delayed impact of tariffs on inflation and ongoing negotiations with India remain key concerns. "So, while August 1st is a key deadline, July 31st—just the day before—could have a meaningful and material impact on what we wake up to on August 1st or 2nd," says Jahangir Aziz, JPMorgan. ADVERTISEMENT Help us analyze and understand what the key talking points for market participants are right now. The 9th July deadline has already passed, and we're now waiting for the 1st of August. However, there haven't been any major announcements so far, and many tariff deals are still pending. How do you think market participants will interpret this, especially since the markets have shown resilience recently? Jahangir Aziz: The markets are clearly showing resilience and are shrugging off the new or recent set of tariffs that have been announced. However, let me make two points. First, August 1st is after July 31st, and the market has somewhat forgotten that amidst all the talk about new tariffs and the Fed. On July 31st, the federal appeals court will begin hearing the case of the appeal made by the government regarding a case they lost in the US Court of International Trade. The court ruled that all tariffs imposed under IEEPA (International Emergency Economic Powers Act), which includes universal tariffs and reciprocal tariffs, are inadmissible. Depending on what the appeals court does on July 31st, or maybe in a couple of days (since it is an appeals court), these tariffs could become moot. This is because IEEPA, the act on which both the tariffs and the reciprocal tariffs are based, could no longer be used. In that case, we could face more months of uncertainty, as the US government may then shift away from IEEPA tariffs to tariffs based on other sections of the trade act, such as Section 301, Section 232, etc. So, while August 1st is a key deadline, July 31st—just the day before—could have a meaningful and material impact on what we wake up to on August 1st or 2nd. Also, we'd like to get your view on developments regarding the Fed chair. With US inflation seeming to be under control, if there is no rate cut as the market expects, do you think this could lead to a change in leadership at the Fed? Jahangir Aziz: That's a completely different issue, and it's hard to speculate on it. But let me start with your first point. You mentioned that inflation is under control. Well, if you look at goods inflation last month and exclude autos (which have dampened due to price cuts by Japanese auto manufacturers selling to their subsidiaries), goods inflation in the US was running at around 5.5%. Even though there has been a significant shift away from China to countries with lower tariffs, like ASEAN, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, etc., and many firms are absorbing tariff increases on their profit margins for now, goods inflation—excluding autos—still stands at 5.5%. The tariff impact is taking longer than expected. As we had anticipated, it would take 2 to 4 months for the tariff effects to hit inflation. Just because it isn't showing up in the data now doesn't mean it won't later. The Fed is aware of this and will be watching for signs of this pass-through and also keeping an eye on non-farm payrolls. Although the most recent non-farm payrolls report showed a surprise number of 147,000, the private sector non-farm payrolls stood at just 74,000—one of the lowest in the past two years. I want to talk about India. The only missing piece seems to be what happens with tariffs, while India is holding ground. There doesn't seem to be a consensus yet on how much tariffs India will face. Where do you think this situation is headed? Jahangir Aziz: My guess is that since India hasn't received a letter yet, at least negotiations are still ongoing, which is a very good sign. Unlike countries like Japan or Korea, which have already received letters and now have to scramble to start trade deals, India's negotiations are still in progress, and the US is not just saying, "Here's the deal, take it or leave it." So that's a positive sign. As for where the tariffs will settle, I don't have an insider perspective, but my guess is that India will likely try to protect its agricultural sector, as it should. India would probably be willing to compromise on other sectors. But suppose we have a trade deal tomorrow, and then the federal court rules that IEEPA tariffs are inadmissible, upholding the US CIT court's decision. Then, what happens to the trade deal? These deals are being made on the assumption that IEEPA tariffs will continue. But if the appeals court, or even the Supreme Court, rules otherwise, then none of these trade deals would make sense. What kind of deal are you cutting under those circumstances? The way markets are digesting tariff news seems a little different this time. We aren't seeing a surge in gold prices or the dollar index, and emerging market sentiment is holding up relatively well. How do you see the dollar moving from these levels, particularly with regard to its impact on emerging market sentiment? Jahangir Aziz: I look at the US dollar and 10-year treasury yields through the lens of my experience working with emerging market countries. I'm not suggesting the US is an emerging market—far from it. The US probably has the best private sector in the world. However, looking at it from this perspective, consider this: the US fiscal deficit for fiscal year 2025 is projected to be around 6.2%, and for 2026, it could be around 7.2%. At the same time, the US is seeking to impose tariffs to address its trade balance, which is expected to decrease from 4% to about 3.5% due to tariffs. Here's the situation: the US is increasing its fiscal deficit by 1% while also reducing its current account deficit by 0.5%, meaning its foreign borrowing will decrease. To make up for this, the US needs to find 1.5% of GDP in increased domestic savings. If this were an emerging market country, we'd expect bond yields to rise and the exchange rate to depreciate. So, with the increase in fiscal deficit and reduced foreign borrowing, the US might experience higher yields and a weaker dollar, as the government's actions increase the risk premium on the country. This is how I see the dollar and US yields moving. 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Donald Trump's tariff 'blank check' must be curbed: Businesses to US court
Donald Trump's tariff 'blank check' must be curbed: Businesses to US court

Business Standard

time09-07-2025

  • Business
  • Business Standard

Donald Trump's tariff 'blank check' must be curbed: Businesses to US court

A group of small businesses that won an order finding President Donald Trump's sweeping global tariffs illegal urged a federal appeals court to uphold that decision and block the trade levies. The US Court of International Trade ruled on May 28 that Trump exceeded his authority by imposing broad tariffs, a power granted to Congress in the Constitution. That decision was temporarily put on hold by the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which will hear arguments July 31 on whether to let it go into effect or extend the stay. The companies challenging the tariffs filed their brief in the Federal Circuit on Tuesday. 'The government's claim of unbounded power to set, reset, rescind, and reapply tariffs of any amount against any product, based on a unilateral and unreviewable emergency declaration, runs contrary to the plain text' of the law, the businesses said in their brief. The appeals court showdown comes as Trump's aggressive tariffs continue to roil global markets. The hearing will take place a day before Trump's newly announced August 1 deadline for tariffs go into effect, replacing his earlier July 9 date. He's insisted there will be no further extensions. At issue is Trump's interpretation of the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA, which says the president can 'regulate' certain foreign transactions during times of crisis. The president claims that persistent US trade deficits amount to a national emergency, allowing him to evoke the IEEPA, but the companies contend that interpretation is overly broad. 'If such generic language authorized taxation, the president would have vast taxing powers that no president in US history has ever been understood to have,' the businesses said in their brief. 'IEEPA is thus properly understood as a sanctions and embargo law, not a blank check for the president to rewrite tariff schedules.' The companies, led by New York wine importer V.O.S. Selections Inc., also claim that the impact of the tariffs is so sweeping that the matter requires Congressional action under the 'major questions' doctrine. Arguing that Trump's tariffs will 'reshape' the US economy, the companies say they will face much higher costs and lower sales, with some of them likely to end up in bankruptcy. The administration filed its own brief in the appeals case last month, arguing that Congress had 'delegated' tariff authority to the president to bolster his ability to manage foreign affairs. It further claimed that blocking the tariffs would disrupt US diplomacy and jeopardize highly sensitive trade negotiations with other nations. But the companies said Tuesday that Trump's back-and-forth threats on tariffs and the resulting uncertainty were evidence that he was misusing the emergency law. The White House didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday. If the appeals court ultimately rules against Trump's tariffs, the Justice Department has said that it would ask the US Supreme Court to immediately intervene in the fight.

Trump tariff ‘blank check' must be curbed, appeals court told
Trump tariff ‘blank check' must be curbed, appeals court told

Business Times

time09-07-2025

  • Business
  • Business Times

Trump tariff ‘blank check' must be curbed, appeals court told

[NEW YORK] A group of small businesses that won an order finding US President Donald Trump's sweeping global tariffs illegal urged a federal appeals court to uphold that decision and block the trade levies. The US Court of International Trade ruled on May 28 that Trump exceeded his authority by imposing broad tariffs, a power granted to Congress in the Constitution. That decision was temporarily put on hold by the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which will hear arguments on Jul 31 on whether to let it go into effect or extend the stay. The companies challenging the tariffs filed their brief in the Federal Circuit on Tuesday (Jul 8). 'The government's claim of unbounded power to set, reset, rescind, and reapply tariffs of any amount against any product, based on a unilateral and unreviewable emergency declaration, runs contrary to the plain text' of the law, the businesses said in their brief. The appeals court showdown comes as Trump's aggressive tariffs continue to roil global markets. The hearing will take place a day before Trump's newly announced Aug 1 deadline for tariffs go into effect, replacing his earlier Jul 9 date. He's insisted there will be no further extensions. At issue is Trump's interpretation of the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or Ieepa, which says the president can 'regulate' certain foreign transactions during times of crisis. The president claims that persistent US trade deficits amount to a national emergency, allowing him to evoke the Ieepa, but the companies contend that the interpretation is overly broad. 'If such generic language authorised taxation, the president would have vast taxing powers that no president in US history has ever been understood to have,' the businesses said in their brief. 'Leepa is thus properly understood as a sanctions and embargo law, not a blank check for the president to rewrite tariff schedules.' BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up The companies, led by New York wine importer VOS Selections, also claim that the impact of the tariffs is so sweeping that the matter requires Congressional action under the 'major questions' doctrine. Arguing that Trump's tariffs will 'reshape' the US economy, the companies say they will face much higher costs and lower sales, with some of them likely to end up in bankruptcy. The administration filed its own brief in the appeals case last month, arguing that Congress had 'delegated' tariff authority to the president to bolster his ability to manage foreign affairs. It further claimed that blocking the tariffs would disrupt US diplomacy and jeopardise highly sensitive trade negotiations with other nations. But the companies said on Tuesday that Trump's back-and-forth threats on tariffs and the resulting uncertainty were evidence that he was misusing the emergency law. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday. If the appeals court ultimately rules against Trump's tariffs, the Justice Department has said that it would ask the US Supreme Court to immediately intervene in the fight. BLOOMBERG

Trump's new wave of tariffs, briefly explained
Trump's new wave of tariffs, briefly explained

Vox

time07-07-2025

  • Business
  • Vox

Trump's new wave of tariffs, briefly explained

This story appeared in The Logoff, a daily newsletter that helps you stay informed about the Trump administration without letting political news take over your life. Subscribe here. Welcome to The Logoff: President Donald Trump is preparing to rev up his trade war again, even as he extends a pause on some tariffs until next month. What just happened? Trump announced new tariff rates on multiple countries Monday in a slew of form letters, citing their 'unsustainable Trade Deficits' with the US. The tariffs — including on Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, and numerous others — would take effect August 1. The White House also said that previously announced 'reciprocal' tariffs, which had been set to take effect this week, would be suspended until August 1. What's the context? Trump announced draconian tariffs on many countries in April, only to pause them a week later after financial markets cratered. He left in place a 10 percent 'global tariff,' as well as tariffs on China (since reduced from their triple-digit highs). Why is Trump doing this now? When Trump paused his tariffs in April, he said he would use the next 90 days to strike trade deals. But almost 90 days later, relatively few deals have been reached. Trump may now hope to force the issue with renewed threats of economic pain. The Logoff The email you need to stay informed about Trump — without letting the news take over your life. Email (required) Sign Up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Will any of these tariffs actually take effect? Trump's trade policy has been mercurial, to describe it generously, and it's even unclear how he's deciding on new tariff rates. Previously, a drastic dip in the markets managed to spook him into backing down, and the markets reacted negatively to his Monday announcement — but it's unclear what we should expect at this point. There's also a pending court case over the legality of Trump's tariffs, which he has imposed using emergency authority, but don't expect a quick resolution there, as a ruling by the US Court of International Trade blocking the tariffs is currently on hold. And with that, it's time to log off…

Trump's Tariffs Explained as the 90-Day Pause Looks Set to End in Less Than 2 Weeks
Trump's Tariffs Explained as the 90-Day Pause Looks Set to End in Less Than 2 Weeks

CNET

time01-07-2025

  • Business
  • CNET

Trump's Tariffs Explained as the 90-Day Pause Looks Set to End in Less Than 2 Weeks

Despite the president hyping up a recent "deal" with China on tariffs, uncertainty has still left consumers uneasy about the near-future. James Martin/CNET President Donald Trump's second term economic plan can be summed up in one word: tariffs. As his barrage of import taxes went into overdrive in recent months, markets trembled and business leaders sounded alarms about the economic damage they would cause. In response to the initial chaos after "Liberation Day" back in April, the heaviest of Trump's tariffs were paused for 90 days, but the end of that pause is coming up in a matter of days now, and the president has said that another reprieve isn't likely. With that in mind, it's about to be as important as ever for you to understand tariffs and how they'll impact your life. Despite the near-constant uncertainties, Trump has continued to barrel forward with his plans, doubling the tariffs on steel and aluminum imports and announcing a new deal that would see the rate against China increase to 55% -- all of which will likely impact your cost of living. That all came after Trump's plans hit their biggest roadblock yet in court, when late last month the US Court of International Trade ruled that Trump had overstepped his authority when he imposed tariffs. This ruling was eventually stayed, but the fight is likely to see a final ruling from the Supreme Court in the future. Should You Buy Now or Wait? Our Experts Weigh In on Tariffs Should You Buy Now or Wait? Our Experts Weigh In on Tariffs Click to unmute Video Player is loading. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Next playlist item Unmute Current Time 0:01 / Duration 9:42 Loaded : 6.13% 0:01 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 9:41 Share Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Should You Buy Now or Wait? Our Experts Weigh In on Tariffs However things shake out in the end, the initial ruling certainly came as a relief to many, given the chaos and uncertainty that Trump's tariffs have caused thus far. For his part, Trump has recently lashed out against companies -- Apple and Walmart, for example -- that have reacted to the tariffs or discussed their impacts in ways he dislikes. Apple has been working to move manufacturing for the US market from China to relatively less-tariffed India, to which Trump has threatened them with a 25% penalty rate if they don't bring manufacturing to the US instead. Experts have predicted that a US-made iPhone, for example, would cost consumers about $3,500. During a recent earnings call, Walmart warned that prices would rise on things like toys, tech and food at some point in the summer, which prompted Trump to demand the chain eat the costs themselves, another unlikely scenario. Amid all this noise, you might still be wondering: What exactly are tariffs and what will they mean for me? The short answer: Expect to pay more for at least some goods and services. For the long answer, keep reading, and for more, check out CNET's price tracker for 11 popular and tariff-vulnerable products. What are tariffs? Put simply, a tariff is a tax on the cost of importing or exporting goods by a particular country. So, for example, a "60% tariff" on Chinese imports would be a 60% tax on the price of importing, say, computer components from China. Trump has been fixated on imports as the centerpiece of his economic plans, often claiming that the money collected from taxes on imported goods would help finance other parts of his agenda. The US imports $3 trillion worth of goods from other countries annually. The president has also, more recently, shown a particular fixation on trade deficits, claiming that the US having a trade deficit with any country means that country is ripping the US off. This is a flawed understanding of the matter, as a lot of economists have said, deficits are often a simple case of resource realities: Wealthy nations like the US buy specific things from nations that have them, while those nations in turn may not be wealthy enough to buy much of anything from the US. While Trump deployed tariffs in his first term, notably against China, he ramped up his plans more significantly for the 2024 campaign, promising 60% tariffs against China and a universal 20% tariff on all imports into the US. Now, tariffs against China are more than double that amount and a universal tariff on all exports is a reality. "Tariffs are the greatest thing ever invented," Trump said at a campaign stop in Michigan last year. At one point, he called himself "Tariff Man" in a post on Truth Social. Who pays the cost of tariffs? Trump repeatedly claimed, before and immediately after returning to the White House, that the country of origin for an imported good pays the cost of the tariffs and that Americans would not see any price increases from them. However, as economists and fact-checkers stressed, this is not the case. The companies importing the tariffed goods -- American companies or organizations in this case -- pay the higher costs. To compensate, companies can raise their prices or absorb the additional costs themselves. So, who ends up paying the price for tariffs? In the end, usually you, the consumer. For instance, a universal tariff on goods from Canada would increase Canadian lumber prices, which would have the knock-on effect of making construction and home renovations more expensive for US consumers. While it is possible for a company to absorb the costs of tariffs without increasing prices, this is not at all likely, at least for now. Speaking with CNET, Ryan Reith, vice president of International Data's worldwide mobile device tracking programs, explained that price hikes from tariffs, especially on technology and hardware, are inevitable in the short term. He estimated that the full amount imposed on imports by Trump's tariffs would be passed on to consumers, which he called the "cost pass-through." Any potential efforts for companies to absorb the new costs themselves would come in the future, once they have a better understanding of the tariffs, if at all. Which Trump tariffs have gone into effect? Following Trump's "Liberation Day" announcements on April 2, the following tariffs are in effect: A 50% tariff on all steel and aluminum imports, doubled from 25% as of June 4. A 30% tariff on all Chinese imports until the new deal touted by Trump takes effect, after which it will purportedly go up to 55%. China, being a major focus of Trump's trade agenda, this rate has had a rate notably higher than others and has steadily increased as Beijing returned fire with tariffs of its own, peaking at 145% before trade talks commenced. 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico are not covered under the 2018 USMCA trade agreement brokered during Trump's first term. The deal covers roughly half of all imports from Canada and about a third of those from Mexico, so the rest are subject to the new tariffs. Energy imports not covered by USMCA will be taxed at only 10%. A 25% tariff on all foreign-made cars and auto parts. A sweeping overall 10% tariff on all imported goods. For certain countries that Trump said were more responsible for the US trade deficit, Trump imposed what he called "reciprocal" tariffs that exceed the 10% level: 20% for the 27 nations that make up the European Union, 26% for India, 24% for Japan and so on. These were meant to take effect on April 9 but were delayed by 90 days due to historic stock market volatility, which makes the new effective date July 8. Trump's claim that these reciprocal tariffs are based on high tariffs imposed against the US by the targeted countries has drawn intense pushback from experts and economists, who have argued that some of these numbers are false or potentially inflated. For example, the above chart says a 39% tariff from the EU, despite its average tariff for US goods being around 3%. Some of the tariffs are against places that are not countries but tiny territories of other nations. The Heard and McDonald Islands, for example, are uninhabited. We'll dig into the confusion around these calculations below. Notably, that minimum 10% tariff will not be on top of those steel, aluminum and auto tariffs. Canada and Mexico were also spared from the 10% minimum additional tariff imposed on all countries the US trades with. On April 11, the administration said smartphones, laptops and other consumer electronics, along with flat panel displays, memory chips and semiconductors, were exempt from reciprocal tariffs. But it wasn't clear whether that would remain the case or whether such products might face different fees later. How were the Trump reciprocal tariffs calculated? The numbers released by the Trump administration for its barrage of "reciprocal" tariffs led to widespread confusion among experts. Trump's own claim that these new rates were derived by halving the tariffs already imposed against the US by certain countries was widely disputed, with critics noting that some of the numbers listed for certain countries were much higher than the actual rates and some countries had tariff rates listed despite not specifically having tariffs against the US at all. In a post to X that spread fast across social media, finance journalist James Surowiecki said that the new reciprocal rates appeared to have been reached by taking the trade deficit the US has with each country and dividing it by the amount the country exports to the US. This, he explained, consistently produced the reciprocal tariff percentages revealed by the White House across the board. "What extraordinary nonsense this is," Surowiecki wrote about the finding. The White House later attempted to debunk this idea, releasing what it claimed was the real formula, though it was quickly determined that this formula was arguably just a more complex version of the one Surowiecki deduced. What will the Trump tariffs do to prices? In short: Prices are almost certainly going up, if not now, then eventually. That is, if the products even make it to US shelves at all, as some tariffs will simply be too high for companies to bother dealing with. While the effects of a lot of tariffs might not be felt straight away, some potential real-world examples have already emerged. Microsoft has increased prices across the board for its Xbox gaming brand, with its flagship Xbox Series X console jumping 20% from $500 to $600. Elsewhere, Kent International, one of the main suppliers of bicycles to Walmart, announced that it would be stopping imports from China, which account for 90% of its stock. Speaking about Trump's tariff plans just before they were announced, White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said that they would generate $6 trillion in revenue over the next decade. Given that tariffs are most often paid by consumers, CNN characterized this as potentially "the largest tax hike in US history." New estimates from the Yale Budget Lab, cited by Axios, predict that Trump's new tariffs will cause a 2.3% increase in inflation throughout 2025. This translates to about a $3,800 increase in expenses for the average American household. Reith, the IDC analyst, told CNET that Chinese-based tech companies, like PC makers Acer, Asus and Lenovo, have "100% exposure" to these import taxes as they currently stand, with products like phones and computers the most likely to take a hit. He also said that the companies best positioned to weather the tariff impacts are those that have moved some of their operations out of China to places like India, Thailand and Vietnam, singling out the likes of Apple, Dell and HP. Samsung, based in South Korea, is also likely to avoid the full force of Trump's tariffs. In an effort to minimize its tariff vulnerability, Apple has begun to move the production of goods for the US market from China to India. Will tariffs impact prices immediately? In the short term -- the first days or weeks after a tariff takes effect -- maybe not. There are still a lot of products in the US imported pre-tariffs and on store shelves, meaning the businesses don't need a price hike to recoup import taxes. Once new products need to be brought in from overseas, that's when you'll see prices start to climb because of tariffs or you'll see them become unavailable. That uncertainty has made consumers anxious. CNET's survey revealed that about 38% of shoppers feel pressured to make certain purchases before tariffs make them more expensive. About 10% say they have already made certain purchases in hopes of getting them in before the price hikes, while 27% said they have delayed purchases for products that cost more than $500. Generally, this worry is the most acute concerning smartphones, laptops and home appliances. Mark Cuban, the billionaire businessman and Trump critic, voiced concerns about when to buy certain things in a post on Bluesky just after Trump's "Liberation Day" announcements. In it, he suggested that consumers might want to stock up on certain items before tariff inflation hits. "It's not a bad idea to go to the local Walmart or big box retailer and buy lots of consumables now," Cuban wrote. "From toothpaste to soap, anything you can find storage space for, buy before they have to replenish inventory. Even if it's made in the USA, they will jack up the price and blame it on tariffs." CNET's Money team recommends that before you make any purchase, especially a high-ticket item, be sure that the expenditure fits within your budget and your spending plans. Buying something you can't afford now because it might be less affordable later can be burdensome, to say the least. What is the goal of the White House tariff plan? The typical goal behind tariffs is to discourage consumers and businesses from buying the tariffed, foreign-sourced goods and encourage them to buy domestically produced goods instead. When implemented in the right way, tariffs are generally seen as a useful way to protect domestic industries. One of the stated intentions for Trump's tariffs is along those lines: to restore American manufacturing and production. However, the White House also claims to be having negotiations with numerous countries looking for tariff exemptions, and some officials have also floated the idea that the tariffs will help finance Trump's tax cuts. You don't have to think about those goals for too long before you realize that they're contradictory: If manufacturing moves to the US or if a bunch of countries are exempt from tariffs, then tariffs aren't actually being collected and can't be used to finance anything. This and many other points have led a lot of economists to allege that Trump's plans are misguided. In terms of returning -- or "reshoring" -- manufacturing in the US, tariffs are a better tool for protecting industries that already exist because importers can fall back on them right away. Building up the factories and plants needed for this in the US could take years, leaving Americans to suffer under higher prices in the interim. That problem is worsened by the fact that the materials needed to build those factories will also be tariffed, making the costs of "reshoring" production in the US too heavy for companies to stomach. These issues, and the general instability of American economic policies under Trump, are part of why experts warn that Trump's tariffs could have the opposite effect: keeping manufacturing out of the US and leaving consumers stuck with inflated prices. Any factories that do get built in the US because of tariffs also have a high chance of being automated, canceling out a lot of job creation potential. To give you one real-world example of this: When warning customers of future price hikes, toy maker Mattel also noted that it had no plans to move manufacturing to the US. Trump has reportedly been fixated on the notion that Apple's iPhone -- the most popular smartphone in the US market -- can be manufactured entirely in the US. This has been broadly dismissed by experts, for a lot of the same reasons mentioned above, but also because an American-made iPhone could cost upward of $3,500. One report from 404 Media dubbed the idea "a pure fantasy." The overall sophistication and breadth of China's manufacturing sector have also been cited, with CEO Tim Cook stating in 2017 that the US lacks the number of tooling engineers to make its products. For more, see how tariffs might raise the prices of Apple products and find some expert tips for saving money.

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