Trump holds a signed copy of his book during a rally in 2021
On tariffs, Trump is an open book
There is method to the US president’s apparent madness, and those seeking to understand need look no further than their local bookshop
In an interview aired on Fox News in mid-March, US President Donald Trump declared to host Laura Ingraham that 2 April would be what he calls “Liberation Day”, the day on which he was scheduled to impose reciprocal tariffs on many of America’s trading partners, saying: “We have been ripped off by every country in the world, friend and foe.” Trump’s plan involves imposing tariffs on goods imported into the US that are equal to those imposed by the originating countries on US exports. Coming in addition to a variety of new tariffs imposed on major trading partners such as China, Canada and Mexico—along with general tariffs on imports of steel and aluminium—the reciprocal tariffs make up a majo
Also in this section
4 December 2025
Time is running out for Lukoil and Rosneft to divest international assets that will be mostly rendered useless to them when the US sanctions deadline arrives in mid-December
3 December 2025
Aramco’s pursuit of $30b in US gas partnerships marks a strategic pivot. The US gains capital and certainty; Saudi Arabia gains access, flexibility and a new export future
2 December 2025
The interplay between OPEC+, China and the US will define oil markets throughout 2026
1 December 2025
The North African producer’s first bidding round in almost two decades is an important milestone but the recent extension suggests a degree of trepidation
