Tariffs

Tariffs are difficult for those paying them.

In the 1992 movie Wayne’s World, there’s that classic street hockey moment where Wayne and Garth yell “Game off!” every time a car comes down the street, everyone moves aside, the game stops and then “Game on!” as soon as the street clears.  It’s funny in a movie, but when tariffs in an economy are suddenly switched “on” and th

The calendar has turned, and we find ourselves on the backside of Labor Day.  Halloween, however, is nearly two months away.  America finds itself in a sort of doldrums.  Summer is unofficially over, yet the holiday season has not arrived.  Many Americans resort to Pumpkin Spice Lattes (PSL) as a way of taking the edge off of this uneventful period.  If that’s you

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell addressed the press Wednesday following the Federal Open Market Committee’s decision to keep the overnight interest rate unchanged.  During the Q&A, he offered an assessment of the economic outlook in light of recent tariff increases.  Powell emphasized that while the U.S.

The engine in one of my cars turns off when at a complete stop until the brake is released.  The idea is to not burn fuel idling at lights or in traffic.  Recently, I noticed that it was no longer doing that but never took the time to figure out why.

In chess, success often depends on anticipating several moves ahead while adapting to changing circumstances.  Similarly, American businesses must balance short-term tactics with long-term strategies.  Not only are these firms competing with changing supply and demand, but policymakers can also rearrange the board, requiring businesses to change strategies at the drop of a hat (or tar

Since President Donald Trump announced new tariffs last Wednesday, global markets and economies have been in chaos.  As of this writing, the tariffs now include a blanket 10-percent duty on all trading partners and up to 145 percent for specific countries like China.  This has caused volatile moves in the markets.  U.S.

The hurricane center is sunny and calm, but the wall around it blows fiercely with its opposing sides tearing in opposite directions.

Tariffs are essentially taxes imposed by a country on goods imported from abroad.  They serve multiple purposes: generating revenue for the government, protecting domestic industries from foreign competition, and sometimes as a tool in trade negotiations.  When a tariff is applied, it increases the cost of imported goods, making them less competitive against domestic products.

Last week Atlas sent a note called How Did We Get Here?