He finally gave up. President Donald Trump, under pressure to reduce the cost of living for Americans, signed an executive order on Friday to remove tariffs he himself imposed, excluding foods such as coffee and exotic fruit.
“I have determined that certain agricultural products should not be subject to reciprocal import duties” imposed in April, the American head of state explained in the decree.
These include coffee and tea, tropical fruits and fruit juices, chocolate and spices, bananas, oranges, tomatoes, beef, and certain grains.
Many promises speak out against the high cost of living
In April, the American president implemented so-called “reciprocal” import duties of at least 10% on most products entering America in order to reduce the country’s trade deficit and support local production. This tax even covers foodstuffs that cannot be grown on American soil.
Donald Trump assured him import duties would generate “trillions of billions of dollars.” But US government data shows that customs revenues, including tariffs, increased by $179 billion between January and September this year. The Supreme Court is currently reviewing the legality of the tax imposed by the president, even though the tax is within the jurisdiction of Congress.
And since major setbacks in local elections, the majority of Republicans have made the cost of living question their top priority. Faced with the high cost of living, the president also proposed paying a dividend of 2,000 dollars to Americans (financed by a notorious customs duty), and even mentioned the possibility of subscribing to a real estate loan with a term of 50 years.
Donald Trump’s spokeswoman, Karoline Leavitt, insisted that the White House was “determined” to pay the dividend, but added that no timetable had been set.
“It’s about economics, you idiot!” »
The White House also wanted to highlight this week the steps taken by Donald Trump to lower the prices of basic necessities such as gasoline and eggs, as well as the announcement of an agreement aimed at lowering the prices of certain weight-loss drugs.
The president is also preparing to quickly increase his domestic visits to promote his economic message, said a White House official who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Especially since Donald Trump often prides himself on his economic prowess and, like every American figure, he remembers the words of Democratic Party strategist James Carville who bluntly explained the reasons for Bill Clinton’s victory in 1992: “It’s the economy, stupid!”.
