And if he can't?
If he raises Tariffs in response to trade deficits, the treasury will see a huge increase from the tariffs.
Which will be a large tax increase on U.S. consumers.
Markets adapt if given half a chance.
The golden goose has been dying the death of a thousand cuts, to shamelessly mix metaphors.
He can. He will need the US trade commision and/or Congress's cooperation, but he will be able to get that.
Which will be a large tax increase on U.S. consumers.
Our founding fathers viewed tariffs as a tax on foreigners wanting to sell into our market.
The current price of the cheap imports don't include the taxes that domestic producers pay, the cost of supporting unemployed Americans or the opportunity cost of having those Americans employed and paying taxes and spending their earnings into our economy.