Thursday evening, when the White House finally published the text of Mr. Trump’s orders, it appeared that some of the prices – those covered in the American -mexico -Canadian trade agreement that Mr. Trump negotiated and celebrated during his first mandate – were indeed permanently suspended. Other prices have simply been interrupted.
Most of the people involved were confused, which could well be the point.
While Mr. Trump passes the tariff determinations and then draws them for about a month, the world leaders call for pleading their case, a bit like the vassal states using a broader power. Directors General have passed In addition, clearly indicating that Mr. Trump is the one you have to face if you bring Canada car parts or China tokens.
And the president responds, as if he grants suspended, but not sorry. If, in a usual presidency, the prices are debated by layers of experts and aid, their potential impact carefully weighed, at the White House of Trump, the determinations are partly capricious, partly weaving, part of the spikes. The explanations of what triggered the imposition of the price change and the decisions to delay or suspend them are not accompanied by detailed justifications. Mr. Trump himself says that he is calling on the basis of his latest conversations.
“It was a short-term agreement,” he told journalists at the Oval Office Thursday afternoon, when he was asked for his calls the day before with senior managers from American car manufacturers. “They came back to me yesterday. They said, “Could we have help on prices because of speed?” And I said, “Listen, I’m going to do it, but that’s it.” They will come back to me after the second. April 2. »»
He quickly added: “I don’t want to hear from you after April 2.”
That it will hold firmly is once again an open question. This may depend on the markets, or if more statements from the industry come as the director general of the target, Brian Cornell, made this week before the last price change. The head of the retail chain said that customers looking for lawyers and lettuce and other staples “would probably see price increases in the coming days”.
