US President Donald Trump’s fixation on tariffs has become an addiction — one that mirrors a drug dependency, where each new round of duties offers diminishing returns while causing greater damage. 

His recent move, signing proclamations to impose a 25 percent tariff on all steel and aluminum imports, is yet another symptom of this compulsive trade strategy.

The irony is that these tariffs fail to serve their intended purpose. Data from 2024 shows that the US imports most of its steel and aluminum from Canada, Brazil and Mexico, while China’s contribution is minimal.

Yet Trump, in his sweeping approach, has imposed duties on key trading partners indiscriminately. His previous tariffs — 25 percent on Mexican and most Canadian imports and 10 percent on Chinese goods — demonstrate not a calculated economic strategy, but an impulsive, shortsighted obsession with protectionism.

Far from weakening China, Trump’s tariffs have only prompted stronger countermeasures. China has responded with precision, targeting key American exports such as crude oil and liquefied natural gas. The latest round of reciprocal tariff hikes between the two countries is now in effect.

Trump’s attempts to use tariffs to suppress China have repeatedly failed and his trade war with the world has only accelerated the erosion of America’s remaining credibility and moral authority. Ultimately, tariffs alone cannot support his grand slogan of “Making America Great Again”.

Despite his background as a businessman, Trump lacks real economic foresight. His pre-presidency record — marred by lawsuits, bankruptcies and fraud scandals — shows a pattern of recklessness rather than strategic expertise. His tariff policies reflect this same pattern: devoid of a coherent framework, driven by impulse rather than reasoned economic principles.

Now, as Trump returns to the White House, he believes that he has learned from the lessons of his first term. In reality, Trump is doubling down on the same flawed tactics. His actions increasingly resemble those of a “clownish bully”, recklessly squandering America’s international reputation and pushing the country further into global opposition.

The views are extracted from Mingshu Zatan (明叔杂谈) account and do not necessarily reflect those of facts.org.cn.