How Japan shapes Trump's view of tariffs

When Donald Trump's fate experienced a decline in the 90s and he needed to raise cash quickly, he sailed 282 feet (85 million) superyacht, Princess Trump, to Asia, hoping he could Attract the rich in Japan.

This is not the first time a businessman is looking for a Japanese buyer or lender.

In the cutting-edge of New York real estate, Trump has obtained front seats from his 1980s American iconic American brands and properties, including the Rockefeller Center.

By then, his worldview about trade and the relationship between the United States and its allies had formed, and his focus on tariffs began to tax on imports.

“He has had a great dissatisfaction with Japan,” said Barbara Res, former executive vice president of the Trump Organization.

She said he looked at the Japanese businessman jealously as being seen as a genius. He believes the United States has not yet received enough rewards to assist its ally Japan in military defense.

Trump often complains that it is difficult for him to reach a deal with a large number of Japanese businessmen.

“I’m tired of watching other countries tear the United States.”

Trump's citation could have been extracted since 2016, but it was actually from the late 1980s when Larry King Live appeared on CNN, about the first time he was named as a potential presidential candidate That moment.

Trump shared his business philosophy in his 1987 book The Art of Transaction, and in a nationwide interview, he opposed the transient nature of U.S. trade policy.

In an animation interview with Oprah Winfrey by live studio viewers on Oprah’s show, he said he would make a difference by making the country’s allies “pay fair share” approach to foreign policy.

He added that when Japan “dumped” products into the U.S. market, there was no free trade, but it was “not possible to do business” there.

Others were concerned about the economy at the time, said Jennifer Miller, associate professor of history at Dartmouth College.

Japan offers competition for American manufacturing, especially in consumer electronics and automotive. As our factories are closing and new Japanese brands enter the market, experts talk about Japan surpassing the United States as the world's leading economy.

Professor Miller said: “Trump is symbolic about many people questioning the U.S.-led leadership in the international order led by the U.S., and whether it really serves the U.S.,” Professor Miller said.

Before Oprah's appearance, Trump spent nearly $100,000 to publish an “open letter” in full-page ads in three major U.S. newspapers.

The title reads: “There is nothing wrong with the problem that the U.S. foreign defense policy has no backbone that cannot be cured.”

He said Japan and other countries have been using the United States for decades. He claimed: “The Japanese are not subject to the huge cost of defending themselves (as long as the United States does it for free), and they have built a strong and vibrant economy with an unprecedented surplus.”

Trump believes that the obvious solution is to “tax” these wealthy countries.

“The world is mocking American politicians because we protect ships we do not own, carry oil we do not need, and are destined to be allies who will not help,” he wrote.

Professor Miller said the ad was an effective introduction to Trump’s foreign policy vision. The attitude of a liberal internationalist who has ruled in the competitive world since World War II is foolish. He believes the solution is a more aggressive protectionist trade policy.

“I think that's one of the reasons why he really likes tariffs, they fit not only in his trading ideology, but in his awareness of himself, which is as deep as this successful trader,” she said. “And tariffs can be threatened; they can be hung in another country.”

Clyde Prestowitz negotiated with Japan while serving as Commerce Secretary in the Reagan Administration. He said long-time critics of free trade policy say no one is affiliated with Trump or his simple attitude at the time. He believes that the president has not provided a real solution to the problems he raised.

“Tariffs are a gorgeous thing you can say, look at what I did, I bumped those guys…so you know, you can be a tough guy. Whether they work in any way or not, you can really take the discussion .”

Mr Prestowitz believes that the real problem at that time and now is that despite complaints about unfair trade, the United States has no strategic manufacturing policy.

Of course, as time passed, people's fear of Japan's rise calmed down and are now allies. Instead, China is the most fierce competitor to the company in the United States. This week, Trump, as one of his first foreign tourists, welcomed Japan's prime minister into the Oval Office.

But Donald Trump's philosophy of domination remains the same as when he was a young real estate developer. He still believes that there is equally strong belief in the tools of other countries to open up markets and reduce trade deficits in tariffs.

“He just kept saying that to anyone who would listen, and it's 40 years' true. It's a very natural way to watch international business for him.” Economics at the Conservative American Enterprise Institute Home.

He said students often share Trump’s intuitive thinking about the economy, and one of the biggest challenges professors face is to convince their understanding that it is wrong.

Mr. Rouster said that despite Trump's party-wide party, this position has upended decades of Republican embrace of free trade, but he doesn't think he's convinced skeptical lawmakers, business Leader and economist.

He believes that the notion that foreign imports are poor still exists, that the scale of the trade deficit is a useful measure of policy success, or that the ideal state of the U.S. economy is to import only goods that cannot be physically produced in the U.S.

Mr Sterling believes that threats to increase tariffs on U.S. allies could reduce business investment and weaken international alliances.

Joseph Lavorgna, chief economist at the National Economic Commission, argued during Trump’s first term that people’s attention to tariffs is too narrow and not enough to understand the overall picture of what Trump is trying to accomplish .

He said the president wants to inspire domestic industries, especially high-tech manufacturing.

He explained that the government believes that if Congress enacted it, they could encourage more companies to use tariffs, coupled with deregulation, cheaper energy and lower corporate taxes.

“I think President Trump understands something very important, being a businessman and dealing, which is great in theory, but in the real world you need to do a level trade, and it’s a level playing field.”

He was right to bet on Donald Trump. Few Republicans openly oppose the president because he demands loyalty to his agenda.

Still, some people who remain silent know that their voters may be affected by the price increase and hope that they can convince Trump not to follow his beloved tariffs.