It’s No Bluff: The Tariff Rate Is Soaring Under Trump

President Trump’s on-again, off-again tariffs have prompted investors to bet that he will “always chicken out” and given businesses and foreign leaders hope that the leader of the world’s largest economy will ultimately back down from his threats if they prove too economically disruptive.

…

Mark Diplacido, who served at the Office of the United States Trade Representative during the first Trump administration, said that the current administration’s posture was that “they are fully comfortable letting these rates and these letters kick in.”

“The implication at this point is it’s time to make your final pitch, and if we’re not happy with this, we’re ready to let these go into effect,” said Mr. Diplacido, now a policy adviser at American Compass, a conservative think tank.