What Is Trump’s Tariff Campaign Meant to Achieve?: QuickTake

After promising during his election campaign to put tariffs back at the center of US economic policy, President Donald Trump moved swiftly once back in office, announcing hefty new import taxes aimed at America’s trading partners.

His tactic — implementing new tariffs and threatening others in an effort to intimidate or gain leverage in other disputes — represents a dramatic shift in a global economy where most major players have cooperated to reduce trade barriers.

All eyes are now on April 2, when the president is promising another round of levies that he’s called “the big ...