麻豆约拍

President Trump has imposed tariffs of goods from countries like China, Mexico, Canada as well as the European Union - which has led to retaliatory levies - and fuelled fears about a global trade war...

But he has since tweeted - ''I have an idea for them- both the US and the EU - drop all tariffs, barriers and subsidies - That would finally be called Free Market and Fair Trade! Hope they do it, we are ready - but they won't!

Earlier yesterday on twitter he said 'Tariffs are the greatest!''

So - is he just throwing ideas around - or is this a strategic campaign to rip up America's existing agreements around the world - and start afresh with new relationships with its trading partners?

Economist Irwin Stelzer - director of the Hudson Institute's economic policy studies group - gives the 麻豆约拍's Susannah Streetre his his take.