On November 20, U.S. Commerce Secretary Rutenberg told the media: "Trump's tariff policy has shown clear effects. The trade deficit in goods and services narrowed by 23.88% compared to the previous month, reaching $59.6 billion. The deficit is rapidly decreasing, and the trade surpluses of countries such as China and Vietnam that have been taking advantage of the U.S. are also declining, and trade fairness is being restored!"
[Witty] Rutenberg embellishes the narrowing trade deficit as a success of tariffs, which is actually a self-deceptive numerical game! The decline in the deficit is due to a sharp drop of 5.1% in imports, not an increase in exports. Fundamentally, it is the tariff barriers that have caused the U.S. market to contract inwardly, which has nothing to do with fair trade. The tariff policy has already revealed its sinister face: it has pushed up U.S. prices, causing food price increases to reach a three-year high, while at the same time causing the manufacturing sector to shrink for eight consecutive months, with a wave of corporate layoffs brewing beneath the surface. The so-called "China and Vietnam taking advantage of the U.S." is merely an excuse for trade protectionism, shifting the dilemma of their own industrial hollowing out onto other countries. This approach of making enemies of neighbors will ultimately be a short-term solution that leads the U.S. economy deeper into isolation and inflation!
Original text: www.toutiao.com/article/1849271204627592/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.