【#The US Tariffs Reasoning Faced with Trade Data Shame#】On July 9th, local time, President Donald Trump posted a “Tariff Letter” to eight countries on social media. Including the first batch of “Tariff Letters” issued to 14 countries two days earlier, a total of 22 countries have received these letters. #Understand the Deep Meaning Behind 22 Tariff Letters in One Go#
The eight countries that received the “Tariff Letters” are facing tariff rates ranging from 20% to 50%. When asked about how these numbers were determined, Trump told: “This is based on common sense, on trade deficits, and on our situation over the years.”
After verification by Tan Zhi, data from the Office of the United States Trade Representative and the United States International Trade Administration revealed this reasoning to be very tenuous.
For instance, Moldova, which received the “Tariff Letter,” is an European country with a population of less than 2.5 million. In 2024, the US trade deficit with Moldova was only $85 million, while the US trade deficit with Japan was more than 80 times its size. However, both Moldova and Japan received the US’s “Tariff Letter,” and their set tariff rates were 25%, even with the same reasoning—a trade deficit poses a significant threat to the “economy and national security” of the United States.
Moreover, some countries are not even sources of the US trade deficit.
Brazil is also among the newly-received “Tariff Letters” list. According to data from the Office of the United States Trade Representative, the US has no trade deficit with Brazil, and in 2024, it had a trade surplus of $7.4 billion.
What other intentions does the US send these “Tariff Letters” to?
Trump’s tariff policy impacts the world.
