7/26/2019

FRANCE/TARIFFS/TECHNOLOGY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump said on Friday [7-26-19] that his administration would deny a request by the electronics giant Apple to avoid stiff tariffs the United States had placed on Chinese imports and threatened to hit France with heavy tariffs in response to a new digital tax that will affect American tech companies. Mr. Trump’s comments underscore the extent to which the president is wielding tariffs to punish not only trading partners, but also American companies that manufacture products overseas. Mr. Trump has increasingly used tariffs to extract concessions over a range of issues, including those unrelated to traditional trade practices. In June, he threatened to tax all Mexican imports to resolve an immigration dispute…Mr. Trump has placed tariffs on $250 billion worth of Chinese goods, including semiconductors, televisions and ball bearings. While the president insists the tariffs are being paid by China, American companies — which import both finished products and materials from China — are facing increased costs as a result of the trade war.”

-Jim Tankersley, Jack Nicas and Ana Swanson, “Trump Escalates Feud With Apple and Threatens Tariffs on France,” The New York Times online, July 26, 2019