Donald Trump provides a “huge feature” for Xi Jinping with a tariff of self -destruction

Selinger-Moreris: So Peter, tell us what happened, what kind of definitions that Donald Trump slapped?

Hartcher: Today – this is the big – Trump announced the definitions of every country that sells goods to the United States with a basic line, he said, the minimum customs tariff is 10 percent and then up to 50 and 60 percent for other countries.

Australia did not want a 10 percent tariff for all its exports to the United States, but with Britain, we have the lowest tariff rates applied to the United States. All other countries have higher tariff rates. Even some of the most intimate allies in America … for example, have a 17 percent tariff.

Now, and [Australian] The Prime Minister alluded this morning, without saying this explicitly, but this means that it has already improved the relative competitiveness of Australia in the United States, and exporting to the United States, for all other countries, except Poms … so we have raised slightly – in some respects, Australia was able to secure it. But this will be a cold comfort for some companies and exporting industries that will suffer because they will lose a 10 percent competitive capacity, measured against American producers in America – which, of course, does not have a tariff applied to it.