Six months into his new administration, U.S. President Donald Trump’s assault on global trade has lost any semblance of organization or structure.
He has changed deadlines suddenly. He has blown up negotiations at the eleventh hour, often raising unexpected issues. He has tied his tariffs to complaints that have nothing to do with trade, like Brazil’s treatment of its former president, Jair Bolsonaro, or the flow of fentanyl from Canada.
Talks with the United States were like "going through a labyrinth” and arriving "back to square one,” said Airlangga Hartarto, the Indonesian minister for economic affairs, who met with U.S. officials in Washington on Wednesday.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.