Sign up for the Slatest to get the most insightful analysis, criticism, and advice out there, delivered to your inbox daily.

It’s Tariff Day , the day when President Donald Trump said he would impose severe tariffs on countries that failed to sign trade deals beneficial to the U.S. economy. Whatever one’s take on tariffs in general, Trump’s specific threats and actions amount to a case study of incoherence—rooted in personal pique, shameless extortion, a dim understanding of global supply chains, and a style of thinking that lacks a strategic dimension.

First there are the inconsistencies. Earlier this week, Trump insisted that the Aug. 1 deadline was inviolable—then, the day before it set in, he allowed Mexico a 90-day extension (repeating the delay he allowed Mexico and Canada j

See Full Page