UNITED States President Donald Trump has long been a staunch advocate of import tariffs, proudly calling himself the “Tariff Man” and asserting that “tariff” is “the most beautiful word in the dictionary”.
During his first term, Trump significantly disrupted the multilateral trading system by raising tariffs on Chinese imports and undermining the World Trade Organisation. But the size and scope of the tariffs he has imposed since his return to the White House have shocked the world.
