Let's make a deal

BABE'S EYE VIEW

- AMBASSADOR B. ROMUALDEZ

There's a popular television game show called "Let's Make a Deal" which has continued to be broadcast since time immemorial. Like the game show, it's when you make a deal that technically gives you the feeling of winning. Most everyone has also heard, and many have probably read, President Trump's book, "The Art of the Deal."

Written in a very conversational tone, the book — which I have read myself — contains anecdotes about his childhood, the influence that his father Fred (who is himself a successful businessman) had on him growing up, his deal-making strategies and views on the art of negotiation, his belief in risk taking and making bold decisions, the importance of thinking big and his formula in becoming a good negotiator to achieve success in business.

In his book, President Trump disclosed: "My style of deal-making is quite simple and straightforward. I aim very high, and then I just keep pushing and pushing and pushing to get what I'm after. Sometimes I settle for less than I sought, but in most cases I still end up with what I want."

And this is what the whole world is seeing now with the imposition of tariffs, which President Trump had described during his first term as "the greatest negotiating tool" in the history of the United States.

Earlier this week, President Trump sent letters to many countries informing that, starting Aug. 1, they will be subject to new reciprocal tariff rates "designed to make the terms of bilateral trade relationships more reciprocal over time and to address the national emergency caused by the massive US goods trade deficit" as explained by the White House.