Trump Refines His Approach to Tariffs on China

News Analysis With President Donald Trump’s return to the White House, tariffs have become a negotiation tool again, especially with China. So far, instead of primarily using tariffs to address trade imbalances, as he did in his first term, Trump is applying the tool more broadly and more measuredly. On his first day in office on Jan. 20, Trump signed a memo ordering federal agencies to investigate unfair trade practices by foreign countries and recommend associated trade policies. The trade policy memo singles out China for a review of its compliance with the 2020 “phase one” trade deal, circumvention of tariffs through third countries, and fentanyl flows into the United States....