When the results of an action are delayed there is a risk the outcomes might not be what you expect and a danger it will be too late to make a correction

Trade Wars

The looming effects of various trade actions, either recently implemented or being contemplated are unknown.

Of course, various stakeholders have made various prognosis of the outcomes but these often differ and may well be forrgotten by the time the impacts are felt.

The real danger in trade action is over governance.  Typically free markets self adjust according to the environmental factors .  This is both natural and expected.

Playing with Fire

By altering the natural order there is a real and present danger of causing significant damage. The plan (I would cynically call it a hope) is the tarriffs or other types of controls will alter economic activity in a favourable way.

Sadlly this is often not the case.

Governing by Tweets

A recent tweet by Donald Trump to the effect the trade sanctions he had authorized were working makes me shudder.  

Declaring policy victory for actions which we cannot know the real impact of for at least one to five years is ludicrous.  Posturing for sure with a digestable sound bite, but really is anyone fooled. 

Unfortunately there may be some.  The bad news is those whom are fooled by such silly posturing fuel such actions, and by the time the negative impacts are clear it is often too late to remedy.