WORLD ROUNDUP: TARRIF WARMindless Tariffs Will Cause Economic Havoc | Trump’s Trade War Risks Forfeiting America’s Economic Primacy | Can the World’s Free-Traders Withstand Trump’s Attack?, and more

President Trump’s Mindless Tariffs Will Cause Economic Havoc  (Economist)
IF YOU failed to spot America being “looted, pillaged, raped and plundered by nations near and far” or it being cruelly denied a “turn to prosper”, then congratulations: you have a firmer grip on reality than the president of the United States. It’s hard to know which is more unsettling: that the leader of the free world could spout complete drivel about its most successful and admired economy. Or the fact that on April 2nd, spurred on by his delusions, Donald Trump announced the biggest break in America’s trade policy in over a century—and committed the most profound, harmful and unnecessary economic error in the modern era.

Almost everything Mr. Trump said this week—on history, economics and the technicalities of trade—was utterly deluded. His reading of history is upside down. 

On economics Mr. Trump’s assertions are flat-out nonsense. And Mr. Trump’s grasp of the technicalities was pathetic.

This catalogue of foolishness will bring needless harm to America. But the rest of the world can limit the damage.

Trump’s Trade War Risks Forfeiting America’s Economic Primacy  (Patricia Cohen, New York Times)
The United States has steered an economic order for 80 years based on trade and trust, making the country the world’s financial superpower. That vision is now blurred.

Trump Tariffs Spare Russia and North Korea, but Target Israel  (Aaron Blake, Washinton Post)
A bizarre formula, some strange inclusions and exclusions, and some allies who sought to avoid the tariffs left in the lurch.
Trump’s plan slapped some surprisingly high tariffs on key allies —including Israel and Vietnam —while sparing nations such as Russia, Cuba and North Korea altogether.

Trump Has Unleashed Utter Havoc on the World, and Britain Will Not Be Spared  (Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, The Telegraph)
It is beyond delusional to think the UK can profit from the upending of global trade

Trump Takes America’s Trade Policies Back to the 19th Century  (Economist)
The president jacks up tariffs on all countries, with particularly sharp rises for much of Asia.

Can the World’s Free-Traders Withstand Trump’s Attack?  (Economist)
Much will depend on the courage of Europe.

Trump’s Wanton Tariffs Will Shatter the World Economy  (Edward Alden, Foreign Policy)
Economic warfare is also test for U.S. democracy.

Trump’s Tariffs Are Designed to Backfire  (RogéKarma, The Atlantic)
Instead of leading to reduced trade barriers, the new global tariff plan is all but guaranteed to raise them.

No Tariff Exemptions for American Farmers  (David Frum, The Atlantic)
They voted for the tariffs when they voted for Trump.

The Good News About Trump’s Tariffs  (Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic)
Authoritarian leaders are most dangerous when they’re popular. Wrecking the economy is unlikely to broaden Trump’s support.

How Tariffs Destroy What Makes America Great  (David Brooks, New York Times)
I’ll let others describe the economic carnage President Trump’s tariffs have already begun to wreak. I want to describe the damage they will do to the American psyche and the American soul.
Trump is building walls. His trade policies obstruct not only the flow of goods but also the flow of ideas, contacts, technology and friendships as well. His immigration policies do the same. He assaults the institutions and communities most involved in international exchange: scientific researchers, universities, the diplomatic corps, foreign aid agencies and international alliances like NATO.
The essence of the Trump agenda might be: We don’t like those damn foreigners.
The conditions that Trump is creating are based on and nurture a security mind-set: they’re threatening us; it’s a zero-sum, dog-eat-dog world; we need to protect, protect, protect. We need to build walls.
If America is still America, these tariffs will represent the turning point of the Trump presidency. People will be outraged by the useless economic pain they are causing; and, more subtly, revolted by the cowardly values they represent.