Tariffs Are Never Going To Work

On Thursday, US President Donald Trump marked his first 100 days in office, touting his achievements. And I'm sure, there's plenty! 😂😂😂

A day later, data from the US Bureau of Economic Analysis indicates the US gross domestic product (GDP) decreased at an annual rate of 0.3 percent in the first quarter of 2025. That marked a sharp downturn after growth at an annual pace of 2.4% in the previous quarter, though the fall was not as severe as some analysts had predicted. 

The decline was driven by a dive in government spending and a more than 40% surge in imports – and which counts as depressing GDP growth – as companies stockpiled to get ahead of Trump's tariffs. 

Consumer spending growth also slowed from the end of last year, with growth of 1.8%, down from 4% in the prior quarter. But, with consumer spending weak, there are clear signs that the damage to growth may be sustained. 

Influential economists had previously warned that the risk of the US economy falling into recession this year was close to 50%. Many will be hastily readjusting those expectations, fearing that the pain for households and businesses has come sooner and will be more acute. And don’t forget, Americans account for $1 in $6 of global consumer spending – if they’re not buying, it's harder for other countries to sell. And the rest of the world won't be immune to their pain. 

But on Truth Social, Trump is boldly claiming: "Our Country will boom, but we have to get rid of the Biden 'Overhang'. This will take a while, has NOTHING TO DO WITH TARIFFS, only that he left us with bad numbers, but when the boom begins, it will be like no other. BE PATIENT!!!"

I just can't buy his argument. He thinks he is a savior but in truth, Trump is fooling Americans. His tariffs will cause even more pain for them. 

And worse, he really believes he is this larger-than-life figure who can bully the world when it suits his fancy. 

That's why, on April 02, he slapped controversially named "reciprocal tariffs" on just about every country. 

For Chinese goods, the levies have escalated to be as high as 245%. Trump is betting Beijing would cave to his vision of a US-dominated global trade order. 

But China refuses to capitulate, defying expectations and revealing a deeper truth: 5,000 years of history taught this civilization to outlast, to withstand and to ride out whatever Trump hurls at the country. 

And for sure, another 5,000 years of history remains to be written.

You may ask, why won’t today’s China acquiesce? To understand, we’re rewinding 200 years – to humiliation, revolution, and a comeback story that reshaped the world.

But it's much more than not yielding. In fact, China is fighting back!

 

Note: BeeRose is an American vlogger living in Beijing, China.