Donald Trump carries out only 1 in 4 tariff threats, ‘Taco’ study says

South China Morning PostCenter-RightEN 1 min read 100% complete by BloombergJanuary 27, 2026 at 05:00 PM

AI Summary

short article 1 min

A Bloomberg Economics analysis examined 49 tariff threats and trade investigations initiated by Donald Trump's administration from the 2024 election to the present. The study found that Trump only followed through on roughly 25% of these threats. Approximately 43% were withdrawn or remain unimplemented, despite initial market reactions. The analysis challenges the idea that Trump consistently implements tariff threats, a concept known as "Trump always chickens out." Most of the fully implemented tariffs or investigations occurred between February and September. The study suggests that many of Trump's tariff threats are used as leverage or to influence behavior, rather than resulting in actual policy changes.

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Greenland 40% Chris Kennedy 40% Nicole Gorton-Caratelli 40% Robert Armstrong 40% Financial Times 40% Iran 50% Canada 50% South Korea ×260% United States 70% Bloomberg Economics ×380% Donald Trump ×490%

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tariff threats 100% trump 90% trade investigations 70% bloomberg economics 70% financial markets 60% economic analysis 60% withdraw tariff 60% investors 50% trade 50%