China doesn’t fear tariffs—they understand them. They use them. They plan around them. The only side confused by strategic tariffs is ours, because the media turned it into a dirty word. But ask anyone who’s ever done business with Chinese suppliers: they respect leverage. They respect cost.
The U.S. gave up leverage for predictability—and got rolled. Tariffs are not about confrontation. They’re about signaling strength in a language the global market already speaks fluently. If you want a better deal with China, speak their language.