The Trump Theory of International Trade

The trump theory of international trade seems straightforward. Selling stuff to foreigners good in buying stuff from foreigners as bad as a form of mercantileism. Simple economic reasoning suggests that this logic is backward. Imports are things we want, whether consumer goods, raw material s or intermediate goods. Exports are the price we have to pay to get the imports. It would be great if we could get more imports without having to pay for them through edded exports. But when there's a trade deficit, its when our imports are bigger than exports. And far from being a sign of weakness, it's actually showing how sabre-rattling we are.