Japan should prepare for a tariff-loving Trump

United States President-elect Donald Trump loves tariffs.

He called it “the most beautiful word in the dictionary” and promised they would be a central part of his administration’s economic strategy, the hammer with which his trade policy would be forged. If he keeps this promise, Trump could upend the global economy, destroying the fundamental principles that have guided international economic engagement for decades, as well as repositioning and potentially isolating the United States in that order.

This love affair could, however, prove to be brief and this commitment may not be firm. The consequences of widespread tariffs could be so painful that Trump would be forced to step back to repair the damage, although he would of course declare victory.