U.S. Trade Policy Tied in Knots: The Triple Fractures Undermining Tariff Strategy

By Ryan Yeh

Current U.S. trade policy, particularly its confrontational stance towards China, is increasingly hobbled by a deep internal incoherence of three critical fractures. First, a jarring disconnect between strategic ambitions and stark economic constraints; second, an irreconcilable tension between populist protectionism and the nature of capital to pursue profits globally; and third, a myopic focus on short-term political wins at the expense of long-term industrial vitality. Together, these contradictions render the policy’s centerpiece—high tariffs—an unsustainable tool, its efficacy steadily eroding under the weight of its contradictions.

1. Strategic Ambition vs. Economic Reality: Containment Goals Clash with Supply Chain Dependence