What A Day If Tariffs Are So Great, Why Are There So Many Exemptions?
9 snips
Dec 15, 2025 Paroma Soni is a data and graphics reporter at Politico, unpacking the complexities of tariff policy and the surprising number of exemptions. She reveals that over half of U.S. imports manage to dodge tariffs, undermining Trump's messaging. Later, Talib Reddick, president of Brown University's Undergraduate Council of Students, shares insights on the campus's emotional response after a recent shooting, emphasizing student concerns about safety and the need for action against gun violence.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Tariffs Were Framed As Global Leverage
- Trump's reciprocal tariffs were framed as a global, blanket policy to rebalance trade deficits and boost manufacturing.
- Paroma Soni explains they applied broadly at a 10% baseline using emergency authority but were meant as negotiation leverage more than fine-tuned economic policy.
Exemptions Expanded As Costs Rose
- The administration rapidly carved out exemptions once tariffs started raising consumer costs and market disruption became clear.
- Paroma Soni lays out how exemptions for industrial inputs and food items reduced the tariffs' real-world reach.
Roughly Half Of Imports Are Exempt
- Politico found roughly half of U.S. imports are excluded from the emergency tariffs, reducing their fiscal and signaling impact.
- Paroma Soni notes $1.7 trillion excluded versus about $1.6 trillion still subject to tariffs, showing large practical carve-outs.