Is the US president using tariffs as a political weapon?

Donald Trump threatens levies on Mexican goods if Mexico doesn’t stop flow of undocumented migrants.

Donald Trump likes to call himself a ‘Tariff Man’.
The US president has imposed import duties to address trade imbalances with China, Canada, Europe and others.
Now he’s threatening tariffs on Mexico, one of America’s biggest trading partners.
Trump says he will impose levies on Mexican goods if it doesn’t stop undocumented people from entering the US.
Meanwhile, China says the US is solely to blame for their trade war over the past year, which has seen both countries impose tariffs on imports.

So, is Donald Trump using trade levies as a political weapon?

And what’s the impact on diplomacy?

Presenter: Hashem Ahelbarra

Guests:

Robert Scott – Senior International Economist at the Economic Policy Institute.

Scott Lucas – Professor at the University of Birmingham, and Founder and Editor of EA World View, a news analysis site on US and international politics.

Ross Feingold – Attorney and Republican Political Consultant.