Europe’s VAT hurts the U.S.? Retaliate with a VAT.

The Trump administration isn’t satisfied with the mayhem it has already inflicted on global trade and investment with its comprehensive "reciprocal” tariffs. U.S.

import taxes are low by global standards, officials correctly point out. So trading partners had better lower theirs to the same rates or deal with the higher matching tariffs on their exports to the U.S.



By Trumpian standards, this sounds almost sensible. Reciprocity was a cornerstone of the old-fashioned approach to trade liberalization, so advocates of freer trade might be tempted to applaud. Except that the right way to lower trade barriers is through orderly negotiations not chaotic peremptory commands.

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