
Published: April 7, 2025 1.46pm BST
Author
- Tarek Alexander HassanProfessor of Economics, Boston University
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Tarek Alexander Hassan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
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When U.S. President Donald Trump imposed sweeping new tariffs on imported goods on April 2, 2025 – upending global trade and sending markets into a tailspin – he presented the move as a response to a crisis. In an executive order released the same day, the White House said the move was necessary to address “the national emergency posed by the large and persistent trade deficit.”
A trade deficit – when a country imports more than it exports – is often viewed as a problem. And yes, the U.S. trade deficit is both large and persistent. Yet, as an economist who has taught international finance at Boston University, the University of Chicago and Harvard, I maintain that far from a national emergency, this persistent deficit is actually a sign of America’s financial and technological dominance.
Continue reading The trade deficit isn’t an emergency – it’s a sign of America’s strength



Tổng Bí thư Tô Lâm điện đàm với Tổng thống Mỹ Donald Trump từ Trụ sở Trung ương Đảng tối 4/4. Ảnh: TTXVN




