In earlier posts we have discussed at a higher level many issues with tariffs. If you have been following this site you would have stayed far ahead of the curve in terms of the various events occurring and your understanding of these effects on the markets. You would also have known the counterfactuals that could … Continue reading Trump just might pull this off: The Genuis of Trump Tariffs, Part 3
Category: Tariffs and Politics and Market Valuations
A Little Bit of Tariff Math
A very short post on an important scenario. Let us say that Trump's end game with tariffs is simply this. Force countries around the world to open up their markets as much as possible. As their competitors get their tariffs reduced to the baseline of 10 per cent which Trump seems to be maintaining, those … Continue reading A Little Bit of Tariff Math
Is Trump a Realist Politician or Socrates’s Carpenter: A Key Question for American Foreign Policy
When Trump first came to Washington he thought the town was filled with the kind of "lightweights" he had known as a wealthy real estate developer dealing with obsequious politicians at fundraisers. A class that would be impressed by wealth and bend over backwards to accommodate a successful billionaire, or if not, would be no … Continue reading Is Trump a Realist Politician or Socrates’s Carpenter: A Key Question for American Foreign Policy
The pool analogy and the key for US tariff success
I'm trying to get these posts to you more often, but have an incredible amount of work I'm doing, which makes it hard. However, I'll still aim for at least once a week and the goal is three times so keep checking back. I want to give you a very brief, but crucial view, of … Continue reading The pool analogy and the key for US tariff success
A Short List of Potential Black Swan Macro-political (geo-political) Risks
The market, of course, refers to black swan events (and you can get the full history of the term elsewhere) as, so to speak, unexpected, off the probability curve events that lead to extreme market volatility. But I would argue usually they aren't really actually that unexpected. Often in fact they are even quite predictable … Continue reading A Short List of Potential Black Swan Macro-political (geo-political) Risks
The one key weakness in real-politique tariffs
I have spoken at length about the problems with the international organization approach that has dominated American policy with only a few limited exceptions since the Cold War. Those problems mean that the real-politique approach which is now emerging has the potential to correct some of these naive, and disempowering excesses that have come to … Continue reading The one key weakness in real-politique tariffs
Part 3: After Discussing the Genius of Tariffs, Now Let’s Consider the Counterfactuals
In two earlier posts I explained the genius of Trump's tariff strategy which are considerable. I also said this site was apolitical, though judging by some of the comments received you might not have believed me. I made the point repeatedly that wherever you fall on the political spectrum you need to understand the concepts … Continue reading Part 3: After Discussing the Genius of Tariffs, Now Let’s Consider the Counterfactuals
High Risk Reward: Trump Tariffs and Politics Over Wall Street
I have spoken a lot in the past about the new global system and approach of the Trump administration, but I want to add here an element alluded to in earlier notes that is crucial for any current market analysis. The markets of the past 3 decades have had several unifying aspects and many 30 … Continue reading High Risk Reward: Trump Tariffs and Politics Over Wall Street
Getting Down to Specifics on the Trump Reciprocal Trade Tariff Strategy
In this post I want to go beyond simply the usual vague discussions of Trump's tariff strategy. In earlier posts which I recommend you read I considered the general theoretical strategic issues at a higher level that sought to explain the major changes involved ignored by many market participants still incorrectly starting with the international … Continue reading Getting Down to Specifics on the Trump Reciprocal Trade Tariff Strategy
Reflections on Trump’s Upcoming Tariff Model
Here we are beginning to consider some of the key conceptual ideas market participants need to understand going into the new tariff regime under the current administration. This post is neutral as is this site about the specific politics involved. Whether one agrees or disagrees with the new regime you need to understand conceptually what … Continue reading Reflections on Trump’s Upcoming Tariff Model