Part 7/10:
The structure of global trade continued to create disparities, with a distinct divide between surplus and deficit countries. The U.S. faced a troubling deficit exceeding $1.1 trillion annually while surplus nations, particularly China, profited heavily.
Despite attempts at economic protectionism, many analysts noted that tariffs would fail to address issues of deeper economic imbalance. Critics of Trump's approach argued that retaliation from other countries would only serve to exacerbate problems, including pushing American companies into unprofitability.