For ‘Tariff Man’ Trump, Tariffs Start Looking Like His End-Goal

President Donald Trump loves tariffs so much he once called himself “Tariff Man.” He also has repeatedly portrayed the punitive tariffs he has imposed on China and other countries as tools to create leverage and draw them into new trade deals that benefit the U.S.

Increasingly, however, Trump’s tariffs are looking like an end-goal rather than a tool and more tangible than any of the deals the president has promised. And that, economists agree, bodes badly for the U.S. and global economies.

With his move to raise tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese imports last week and to order up ...