Trump's tariff tantrums

American President Donald Trump was known to be unpredictable. But what he has unleashed since he became President has shocked even hardened policymakers, businessmen, traders, investors, politicians, and bureaucrats.

- Debashis Basu

American President Donald Trump was known to be unpredictable. But what he has unleashed since he became President has shocked even hardened policymakers, businessmen, traders, investors, politicians, and bureaucrats. And he has 46 months still to go. I have been anticipating this for a while. Last October and early November, I wrote three articles pointing to a clear economic slowdown in India, which also indicated a weaker stock market. A fourth article in mid-November was titled "More dark clouds gather." Mr. Trump had just won the election, and I pointed out: "It would be suicidal to assume that his promised actions would be tempered by realpolitik or get bogged down in the Washington 'swamp' or the 'deep state'. Even if a part of Trumponomics is implemented, it will hit the rest of the world like a tidal wave from which no major economies will be spared."