

Bloomberg Businessweek Weekend - April 18th, 2025
Apr 18, 2025
Josh Green, a National correspondent at Bloomberg Businessweek, shares insights on President Trump's tariff tactics, drawing historical parallels and discussing their ripple effects on trade and policy. Edward Fishman focuses on choke points in the global economy, analyzing the dominance of the U.S. dollar and implications for fiscal health. Christine Harper explores the enduring lessons from economic history, while Tim Craighead highlights emerging investment trends and Tesla's market challenges. Together, they unravel the complexities of current economic turmoil and its broader implications.
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Trump's Tariffs as 'Membership Fees'
- Trump views US markets like Mar-a-Lago as prime real estate and aims to raise membership fees through tariffs.
- This approach drives his tariff obsession despite global market instability and recession fears.
Dollar's Central Global Role
- The dollar's choke point status supports U.S. fiscal deficits and global sanctions power.
- Weakening dollar risks higher borrowing costs and undermining U.S. economic and geopolitical power.
Tariff Chaos vs Historical Rationales
- Trump administration's tariff policy lacks clear economic rationale and creates uncertainty.
- Comparable historical efforts, like Nixon-Volcker era, had coherent strategies unlike current tariff chaos.