US tariffs on Mexico 'paused for a month,' Mexican president says - ABC News

I guess Trump is still mad that Melania was giving Trudeau the lovey eyes the last time he was in office.

The tarrifs don't really matter. That's not the point, it's the distraction. Especially in this case. He wants to make it a common practice that foreign countries roll over for him. They think if a couple of our neighbors roll over, they can convince Denmark to roll over.

This is what a bully does. Threaten and threaten. It hides the inherent weakness because they don't want to actually fight.

Not so clear what you mean with “not working” here. Tariffs are costly to both countries. To Mexico because Mexican products become more costly in the US, which reduces demand. To Americans because consumer prices go up. So it’s a lose-lose. Now if Mexico enacts counter tariffs, you get to a lose-lose-lose-lose.

Now who is the biggest loser crucially depends on the size of the countries and how important trade is. For Mexico trade with the US is much more important than vice versa. These tariffs would be devastating to Mexico. So if that’s what you mean with “working” yeah sure tariffs work.

What’s important to realise is that these tariffs were enacted without clear demands. So without a clear intention it is impossible to define whether it works. Another point is that such generic barriers to trade are usually reserved for rogue states like Venezuela. Enacting them against arguably your closest friends is a huge escalation of the instrument, and in the long run leaves you without friends.