Trading Bluffs: What's Really at Stake in Trump's Latest Threats The recent threat from Donald Trump to halt all trade with countries that have a surplus with the US is less about economic policy than an exercise in brinksmanship.
Like his predecessors, Trump is playing a high stakes game of economic chicken, but this time he's wagering not just America's reputation but its very stability.
The numbers are stark: the US has a massive trade deficit, with over $1. 2 trillion worth of goods flowing out and only $340 billion coming back in the form of services.