Beijing and Washington, D.C. reached an agreement for 30 percent tariffs

Donald Trump’s “Art of the Deal” with China saw a 90-day pause on 145 percent tariffs down to about 30 percent. While that might be some good news, the 30 percent is also a reprieve for shippers, despite the fact of the ongoing uncertainty conundrum instigated by Trump himself. In a report for Transport Topics, imports from China are expected to surge.

Mike Short, president of global freight forwarding at C.H. Robinson Worldwide, told the trucking news outlet: “Now that tariffs have been lowered, we’re expecting a burst of pent-up cargo starting in two or three weeks.” That’s great! But that is still uncertainty, people.

Trump used tariffs to push for better trade deals, starting with a ten percent base rate. China faced threats of up to one hundred forty-five percent, but a May 12 agreement set a plan to reduce tariffs to thirty percent over 90 days, as we already mentioned above.

But, there is some concern. Delaying tariffs and continuing to use border taxation as a bargaining chip will not return jobs to the U.S., reports CNBC.com. This is based on an analysis by Wells Fargo that concluded this inconsistent nature of negotiation is doing nothing to bring back manufacturing positions en masse to the entire U.S. economy.

To add further context, we might be in a “self-inflicted” recession. At least, that is what Doug Ramsey tells Business Insider. Ramsey is the chief investment officer of Leuthold Group, and that the United States is at risk of a "self-fulfilling confidence collapse.” As such, “It's an outcome that would not merely be self-fulfilling, but self-inflicted as well.”

Bottom line: Trump’s tariff deal with China lowered rates from one hundred forty-five to thirty percent over ninety days, offering short-term relief but fueling ongoing economic uncertainty without restoring U.S. manufacturing jobs. That is a very cold-hard truth.

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