Trade deficits

President Donald Trump was back on the topic of trade today. Taking questions at the White House, he said that the United States “has been taken advantage of” on trade. And he doubled down on his promise to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. They are needed, he said, because of trade deficits. But […]

Fresh from his trip to Asia, President Donald Trump today tweeted that things must change when it comes to trade. “The United States has to be treated fairly and in a reciprocal fashion. The massive trade deficits must go down quickly!” he wrote. Now, most economists disagree with the president on whether the current U.S. […]

Key to President Trump’s tax plans announced today is accelerated economic growth. That’s probably one reason the president took to Twitter this morning to complain about modest growth in 2016. He said trade deficits were to blame. “Trade deficits hurt the economy very badly” he wrote. But economists say that’s not really right.  Click the audio […]