Trump’s Zero-Tariff Proposal: Throwaway Line or Serious Offer?

The fundamental problem is that Trump genuinely seems to believe that a "trade deficit" is evidence that a nation is somehow losing or being mistreated. In reality, a trade deficit is simply the flip side of a capital surplus. And that's generally evidence of a nation's economic strength.

So while I think it's good news that Trump floated a zero-trade-barrier offer, I'm not holding my breath it will ever happen.