The US and China just released their big tariff deal. Seventy-seven items get relief. The list includes fireworks, Christmas ornaments, tableware, and soccer balls. That’s the headline from the summit: you can buy a cheaper soccer ball now. Meanwhile, tariffs have cost the average American household over $2,500 this year. Congratulations, you got about nine percent back. Mostly in ornaments.
This is the cycle. Break something big, fix something small, hold a press conference. The Supreme Court ruled the IEEPA tariffs unconstitutional back in February. Didn’t matter. Trump kept collecting and now wants a standing ovation for agreeing to stop charging you extra for fireworks. The Christmas goods are already on cargo ships. The cuts won’t hit shelves until next year. The victory lap started before the race ended.
China gets to sell us tableware. We get to sell them coal and timber. American farmers get their export markets back after their own government spent eighteen months torching them. That’s not a deal. It’s a refund on damage nobody asked for.