Trump thinks ‘cheaters’ are hurting us on trade, but here’s how the U.S. employs a number of sneaky ‘non-tariff barriers’ to repel foreign goods

The main mystery of Trump’s tariff crusades. “Mutual” responsibilities “On the Day of Liberation”, he is completely turned off from what other nations are charging in our US exports. In fact, in all cases, Trump’s tariffs are many times larger. How does he justify this giant bay? The President insists that we “go out” not with unnecessary tariffs, but rough “non-tariff barriers” (NTB), such as quotas and technical standards, which are systematically blocked from foreign markets.

In fact, Trump brings it back. The United States is a much more rougher user of NTBs, she finds so insulting than big farms in the world.

How is the defense side the US?

A very respected guide, where the trade policy of different countries is on the spectrum on the spectrum, is an international outdoor indicator, consisting of Tolos Foundation, Washington, DC, focusing on tax reform and policy. 2024 In general, we are above average, over the average, overall restrictions on the list, which present many bad actors. Tholos numbers estimate 60% of the United States worse than Japan and Canada, respectively, as the most open imports. 43% from the UK; I have a short of a third of the EU Majors. and 15% shy from Taiwan. Surprisingly, the research found out that this country received 90%, as many protective measures as China, the 11 points below, and 70%, which spread to India.

It is clear that America’s position as a relatively rigid trade is not a problem with tariffs. On the contrary. Before the victory, the trade war began, the weighted average US trade fees were obviously welcomed by 2.2%, according to the World Trade Organization. The WTO numbers worldwide duty, which is accused by the top six US export buyers by 24 Canada, EU, Mexico, China, Japan and Great Britain, only above the United States. Great exception. As a result of the first Trump management, China and the United States approved a special punitive interest rates, which an average of 14% of their exports, and 12% on the world’s second largest economy. Thus, outside of commercial conflicts, the United States is a low tariff, and the countries where we send most of our products do not charge much more than we are.

Therefore, what turns a country from a modest location of US tariffs, which is a much more protective, indirect, non-tariff barrier or NTBs. During the same study, the Boyson Foundation labeled the United States as the 15th largest user of NTBs, only France, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and Switzerland. “The most active users for NTBS are the United States and the EU,” says Philip Thompson, a political analyst in Colos.

Non-tariff barriers are extremely common

NTBs come with a wide range. They include such practices, such as quotas, technical standards, packaging, labeling, licensing and security requirements. During the study of 2024, the Federal Reserve of St. Louis said that in 15 production spheres NTB covers two-thirds: import of components, products and finished products. The report marks the huge discrepancies between tariffs and NTB in different industries. The US tariff rates are 2% for chemical and machine building / electrical fields. But NTBS included more than 70% of sales. Similar history for meat and vegetables. Tariffs are like 3% of the transaction, but more than 90% are sold in those businesses under the auspices of NTB. Even what seems to be a free market wood, the responsibility is 1%, and the import of the United States, which protects, is quite a lot. The newspaper concludes: “Unlike tariffs, [NTBs] Uniquitous imports in the United States in all industries. “

St. Louis Sed found that about 20% of NTBs involved problems such as sanitary tests needed to protect US consumers and employees. (The study did not include businesses such as semiconductors where national security can be involved).

How “Tariff Interest Rates” works

The United States is a defensive tool called tariff interest rate quota. Despite his name, TRQ is a really non-tariff obstacle, as it does not really impose responsibilities. TWO, ​​typically allows goods or products to enter the country at a certain level, and the imports hit the Bogey, offered the flow of opponents and fixed quomes from abroad. The best example. The sugar market, where the rules of the USDA, limit the production of the minimum prices are mainly higher than in international markets. “The US government is a leader of the people’s sugar cartel,” said the study of the Cato Institute. Sugar TRQ is a decisive component of that system, as it prevents cheap sugar from disrupting guaranteed pricing.

TrQs, in fact, is a major amount of money for US agriculture. The office of the US Trade Representative publishes the list of TRQs, and it is exhaustive. Special Target is Australia. It stands on quotas, creams and ice creams, condensed milk, butter and other other farming products. Canada hits many other dairy products of cheese, oil-free milk and dairy products. Trqs Cap beef from Japan and cheese from Peru. Restriction or blocks of additional rules from Beafil from Bearm to Bearm, Mexico to tomatoes, blueberries and other products to outer sunburn.

In his “mutual” tariff campaign, Trump offered Taiwan with a 24% Japan with a 24%, the EU by 10%, and in China, 255%, which produces 25%. In ordinary times, these peoples are charging the United States only a little higher tariffs than the US charges on their exports and have much less tariff obstacles than we do. The best solution to Trump would offer to lower the NTBs that increase American consumers and interfere with our trade partners to reduce their restrictions. That result would really be the art of transaction.

This story was originally shown Fortune.com