President Trump was elected promising to reintroduce tariffs as part of his America First agenda. Trump kept this promise on 2 April 2025, his self-declared Liberation Day. This was a daring move, given that most economists blame tariffs for causing the Great Depression, widely considered the world’s worst economic crisis. Four months after Trump’s bold move, has the return of tariffs reinvigorated the world economy, or stifled it? We will review the situation in the United States, Australia and around the world.

DELIVERY MODE

• Face-to-Face

COURSE OUTLINE

• Scope of President Trump’s tariff program
• Reception of the tariff program in the United States
• How this program impacted the United States economy
• Impact of the tariffs on Australia’s economy and how the Australian government responded to tariffs on Australian exports to the United States
• How the program affected international trade generally

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

1. Describe the main features of the Trump administration’s tariff program
2. Outline the impact of the program on the United States and Australian economies and on international trade generally