Trump's tariff letters and the monetization of America's global hegemony

After some wait Sri Lanka received Trump's tariff letter really the same 'form letter' sent to different countries, and not really received but posted at 3:55 am on Thursday July 10, or 6:25 pm on Wednesday in Washington.

- BY RAJAN PHILIPS

The first post got our president's first name wrong - Aruna instead of Anura, and a second post followed to correct the typo. The world is getting used to superpower sloppiness in formal missives even as it got jolted to America's aerial bombing reach over Iran. President Dissanayake is not the only one to be honoured with a Washington typo. The letter sent to Madam Željka Cvijanović, the Chairwoman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, referred to as "Her Excellency," and also addressed her as "Dear Mr President."

A more serious political and even legal howler is in the letter sent to Brazil, the same day as Sri Lanka, but a non-form letter sent specifically to Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The letter quite blatantly singles out Brazil for a punishing 50% tariff not for security or economic reasons that Trump usually uses to justify his tariffs, but because he is not happy with Brazil's prosecution of its former president and Trump buddy Bolsonaro for trying to overturn his defeat in 2020 presidential election. Trump tried the same thing in the US and was indicted for but escaped trial thanks to the Supreme Court's artful ruling on presidential immunity. Now Trump wants to help Bolsonaro in Brazil using his tariff powers in America.

Trump's letter to Sri Lanka indicates that Sri Lanka will be charged "only 30% on any and all Sri Lankan products sent into the United States...", while inviting Sri Lanka "to participate in the extraordinary Economy of the United States, the Number One Market in the World, by far." This is seriously from the President of the United States of America, no less, and by far too. The new 30% tariff level is quite lower than the 44% that was earmarked for Sri Lanka in Trump's Rose Garden rollout of global tariffs on April 9. Among comparator and competitor countries Sri Lanka has fared better than some and worse than others.