Law and Chaos

Ep 121 — Trump’s Tariff Math … It’s Dumber Than You Think

Apr 4, 2025

01:05:46

Why does the President of the United States not know what tariffs are, why does he want to crash the world economy, and can he do any of it? We answer as many of those questions as we can. Come for phi times epsilon times m sub i, stay for the Trading With the Enemy Act of 1917. Plus! Judge James Boasberg in D.C. is NOT HAPPY the administration flouted his orders and intends to figure out who was responsible and why. Also, things are about to get ugly at the D.C. Circuit.

Links:

DC Circuit Local Rules

https://www.cadc.uscourts.gov/sites/cadc/files/rules-RulesFRAP20241212c.pdf

Trump Tariff EO

https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/regulating-imports-with-a-reciprocal-tariff-to-rectify-trade-practices-that-contribute-to-large-and-persistent-annual-united-states-goods-trade-deficits/

Trump Annex I to Tariff EO

https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Annex-I.pdf

USTR on how tariffs are calculated

https://ustr.gov/issue-areas/reciprocal-tariff-calculations

The Economist, “President Trump’s Mindless Tariffs Will Cause Economic Havoc”

https://www.economist.com/leaders/2025/04/03/president-trumps-mindless-tariffs-will-cause-economic-havoc

Forbes, “How Much Would An iPhone Cost If Apple Were Forced to Make it In America?”