Trumpin ala-arvoiset tariffilaskelmat ovat selkeää kiristystä ja perinteinen tapa vahvemman kiusaajan neuvottelutaktiikassa. Eniten näissä Trumpin yliampuvissa heitoissa häiritsee toistuva valehtelu, vääristely ja kyseenalaiset kiristystä lähentelevät neuvottelutaktiikat.
Esim Israel pudotti tariffit nollaan pari päivää sitten, joten luultavasti Trump on laittanut Israelin 17% tariffilistalle, jotta voi poistaa sen sieltä ja näyttää, että tariffeista voi neuvotella, tai ne saa jopa kokonaan poistettua, kunhan luopuu myös omista tariffeistaan. Pörssin n. -3% maltillinen pudotus mielestäni ennakoi, että maat aloittavat pikaisia neuvotteluja pakon edessä, sillä ilmoitettu tariffitaso ei ole kestävä tai oikeudenmukainen. Pahoittelut pitkästä tekoälyn luomasta liittetekstistä, mutta se avaa, miten absurdilla ja vääristelevällä tavalla Trumpin hallitus hoitaa ulkomaan kauppapolitiikkaansa. Venäjä ei ollut tosiaan edes eilisellä tariffilistalla.
Ohessa huomattavasti luotettavampia arvioita todellisista tariffeista tekoälyjen avustuksella:
Kysymys tekoäly(iltä):
Trump announced tariffs on what he called “Liberation Day.” They appear to be calculated using basic arithmetic: trade deficit divided by exports to the U.S. Is this true, and how far off are these numbers? What are the actual tariffs that Europe, China, and other countries impose on U.S. goods?
Tekoälyn (pitkä) vastaus:
Yes, it appears that the tariffs announced by President Trump on “Liberation Day” (April 2, 2025) were calculated using a simplistic formula based on trade deficits divided by exports to the US, often halved, rather than reflecting the actual tariffs imposed by other countries on US goods. This approach has been widely noted and criticized as an oversimplification that doesn’t align with the real tariff rates charged by trading partners. Let’s break this down and compare it to the actual tariffs imposed by Europe, China, and other countries on US exports.
Trump’s Tariff Calculation Method
Based on available information and analyses, the Trump administration’s “reciprocal tariffs” were derived by taking the US trade deficit with a given country, dividing it by the value of that country’s exports to the US, and then often halving the result to set the tariff rate (with a minimum baseline of 10%). For example:
- China: US trade deficit of $295.4 billion divided by $439.9 billion in imports from China = ~67%. Trump’s announced tariff was 34% (plus a prior 20%, totaling 54%), roughly half of this figure.*
- European Union: US trade deficit of $235.6 billion divided by $605.8 billion in imports = ~39%. Trump’s announced tariff was 20%, again roughly half.*
This method doesn’t directly measure the tariffs foreign countries charge on US exports but instead uses trade deficits as a proxy for perceived “unfairness” in trade, which Trump has long emphasized. However, trade deficits are influenced by many factors—consumer demand, currency strength, economic structure—not just tariffs, making this a crude and misleading basis for setting “reciprocal” rates.
Real Tariffs Charged by Europe, China, and Others
To assess whether Trump’s tariffs are “way off,” we need to compare them to the actual average tariffs imposed on US exports by key trading partners. These are typically reported as “applied Most Favored Nation (MFN)” tariff rates, which reflect the standard rates countries charge on imports from WTO members like the US, unless special trade agreements lower them further.
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European Union:
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Actual Tariff on US Exports: The EU’s average applied MFN tariff on all goods is around 4.2% (World Bank, WTO data). For agricultural goods, it’s higher at about 11.1%, while industrial goods average 3.8%. Specific US products face varying rates—e.g., 2.8% on cars, but up to 25% on certain agricultural items like tobacco.
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Trump’s Tariff: 20% (plus the 10% baseline, effectively 30% on most goods).
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Comparison: The EU’s real tariff is far lower than the 39% implied by Trump’s formula (before halving to 20%). His rate is 5-7 times higher than the EU’s actual average.
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China:
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Actual Tariff on US Exports: China’s average applied MFN tariff is around 7.5% overall, with agricultural goods at 13.8% and industrial goods at 6.8%. However, since the US-China trade war began in 2018, China raised retaliatory tariffs on many US goods (e.g., 25% on soybeans, cars, and some machinery), pushing the trade-weighted average closer to 19-21% on US exports specifically (per US Trade Representative estimates).
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Trump’s Tariff: 34% (plus 20% from earlier tariffs, totaling 54%).
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Comparison: The 67% figure from Trump’s formula (halved to 34%) vastly exceeds China’s pre-trade-war MFN rate of 7.5%. Even with retaliatory tariffs, China’s effective rate on US goods (~20%) is still well below 67%, making Trump’s rate 2-3 times higher than reality.
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Japan:
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Actual Tariff on US Exports: Japan’s average applied MFN tariff is about 3.2%, with agriculture at 14.8% (e.g., rice at 778% due to quotas, but most US exports face lower rates) and industrial goods at 1.8%. The US-Japan Trade Agreement (2020) further reduces many rates to 0% for US goods.
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Trump’s Tariff: 24%.
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Comparison: Japan’s real tariff is a fraction of the 48% implied (halved to 24%), with Trump’s rate 7-10 times higher than Japan’s average.
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Canada:
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Actual Tariff on US Exports: Canada’s average applied MFN tariff is ~4.1%, but under the USMCA (successor to NAFTA), most US exports enter tariff-free (0%). Agriculture averages 13.6% outside USMCA exemptions.
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Trump’s Tariff: Spared from reciprocal tariffs, but a 25% auto tariff applies (effective April 3, 2025).
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Comparison: Canada’s effective tariff on US goods is near 0% due to USMCA, so any positive rate vastly exceeds reality.
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Vietnam:
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Actual Tariff on US Exports: Vietnam’s average applied MFN tariff is ~9.5%, with agriculture at 16.4% and industrial goods at 8.2%. No free trade agreement exists with the US, so these rates apply.
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Trump’s Tariff: 46%.
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Comparison: The implied 92% (halved to 46%) is 5-10 times Vietnam’s actual tariff.
Is Trump’s Method Way Off?
Yes, Trump’s tariff calculations are significantly detached from the real tariffs charged by these countries. His formula assumes trade deficits directly reflect tariff barriers, ignoring non-tariff factors like production costs, consumer preferences, and service trade surpluses (e.g., the US exported $1.1 trillion in services in 2024, offsetting goods deficits). The actual average tariffs—typically 3-10% for most countries, with exceptions during trade disputes—are much lower than the 20-54% rates Trump imposed. His method exaggerates “unfairness” by orders of magnitude, leading to tariffs that are punitive rather than reciprocal.
Implications
This disconnect suggests Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs are more about political messaging and economic leverage—aiming to boost US manufacturing and raise revenue—than mirroring actual trade barriers. Economists argue this risks igniting a global trade war, raising US consumer prices (importers pass on costs), and disrupting supply chains, all while misrepresenting the trade policies of allies and competitors alike. The real tariffs from Europe, China, and others are nuanced, often lowered by trade agreements, and far less punitive than Trump’s formula implies.