A Constructive Criticism Of Trump’s 100% Tariff Threat To BRICS: Is It Pandering To The Victims Of Bidenomics Or A Lack Of Depth in Foreign & Fiscal Policies?

Trump’s 100% tariff threat on BRICS faces scrutiny for lacking depth in foreign and fiscal policy, raising concerns about its feasibility amid America's manufacturing challenges.

Despite questions on the legitimacy of the 2020 US elections which continue to date, the evident legal persecution by the current Biden-Harris regime, and a failed assassination attempt Trump is viewed as the only American leader who can reinstate the nation back to its glory days of the last century. President Donald Trump will be remembered throughout history as the first POTUS of the 21st century who did not start a new war during his term in the White House. This in itself is a remarkable feat and is recognized as one by the whole world. 

Compared to his political peers across party lines, Trump has overwhelming support from ordinary folks, including the people outside America. His rallies throughout the US are a huge success. It is also evident why many American celebrities and influencers are also vocal in supporting and endorsing Trump. 

With that being said, President Trump’s election campaign desperately needs a dose of constructive criticism. His supporters have become accustomed to facing off baseless attacks from the democrats and the uber-leftists of America. So accustomed that they are comfortable overlooking a lack of depth in his recent policy-related statements. 

Trump’s 100% Tariff Threat To BRICS

An article on RT quoted Trump saying “You leave the dollar and you’re not doing business with the US because we are going to put a 100% tariff on your goods”. This specific threat seems to be aimed primarily at the BRICS nations and indirectly at the partner countries and member nations of the broader BRICS+ grouping. 

A post by Dr Ankit Shah on X explicitly spells out the conundrum posed by the American uni party establishment to the rest of the world — “Democrats use Sanctions on nations. Republicans use Tariffs on nations. Understand the game they play with the citizens. Democrats allowed on paper closure of the central bank digital currency project with the votes of the Republicans. Republicans via Trump are saying we will ensure Bitcoin stays (will regulate crypto). What is a regulated Pvt crypto? It is CBDC.”

Dr Shah, an Indian economist is highly reputed for predicting major global events like the Ukraine-Russia Conflict and India-China conflict of 2018, often months or years before they occur. 

Whether Iran or Russia, Democrats have been at the forefront when imposing sanctions. Whereas Bush and President Trump have relied on tariffs as a pressure tactic. The tariff threat follows Trump’s policies during the US-China Trade war in the last 2 years of his term. 

Why A 100% Tariff Policy Wouldn’t Work?

Just like sanctioning Russia and booting it out of the financial system backfired on the entire West, imposing high tariffs on Chinese products alone won't do America any good. Especially at a time when the US is unable to replace Chinese manufacturing capacity with its own domestic manufacturing capacity. This also seems contradictory considering the huge investments of Corporate America in building up China as the world’s manufacturing hub over the last 4 decades. 

The US and its European allies also face a serious shortage of human resources — both skilled and unskilled. This can be inferred from the Open Border Policy of the Biden administration and their Western allies. America is importing illegal immigrants/voters through both its southern and northern borders. 

The average wage rates for Americans are also considerably high and tend to eat away at a business's bottom line numbers. Even though Americans have a high wage rate compared to most of the world, they are still unable to cope with the rising inflation and end up accumulating more debt. President Trump is facing a vicious cycle and has to decide between two grave choices — support the business by setting a low wage rate or support the citizens suffering from debt and inflation at the cost of running down businesses.

In such a situation, when America can't manufacture at a scale for its domestic consumption, can it afford to impose 100% tariffs on its imports? And even if American businesses are somehow able to manufacture domestically at a scale, how much wage rate will they have to cut to achieve a break-even point? Also, China is one of the primary exporters of rare earth metals. What position would Trump take if China decides to stop the export of these critical raw materials to the US? 

Conclusion

Trump’s statements regarding foreign and fiscal policies do not consider the factual realities on the ground. They might seem strong and bold statements to the victims of Bidenomics within America. But from a vantage point of BRICS nations, some of these statements lack depth and need a lot more introspection.