The tariff mistake with China shows the boundaries of Trump's aggression

President Trump's decision to impose three-digit tariffs for Chinese products last month and then returned showed the power and global reach of US trade policy. But it was also another example of the limits of Mr. Trump's aggressive approach.

The tariffs for Chinese goods that the United States had up to at least 145 percent at the beginning of April brought a lot of trade between the countries to stand out. They prompted companies to redirect business worldwide and to import less from China and more from other countries such as Vietnam and Mexico. They forced the Chinese factories to fail and brought some American importers bankrupt.

The tariffs ultimately proved too painful for American companies to maintain Mr. Trump. Within a few weeks, the Trump officials said that the tariffs that the president imposed on one of the largest trading partners in America were not sustainable and that they tried to reduce them.

The trade talks between the world's largest economies in Geneva in Geneva This weekend were expected to reduce the strong taxes for the products of the other by more than many analysts. Chinese imports will be exposed to a minimum tax of 30 percent compared to 145 percent. China will reduce its import duties for American goods from 125 percent to 10 percent. The two countries also agreed to have talks to stabilize the relationship.

It remains to be seen which agreements can be achieved in future negotiations. But the conversations this weekend and the tariff chaos of the last month did not seem to generate any other immediate concessions from the Chinese, apart from an obligation to continue to speak. This has questioned whether the trade disorders of the last month – which caused many American companies to make orders for Chinese imports, freeze expansion plans and warn of canceling higher prices – was worth it.

“The Geneva agreement represents an almost complete US withdrawal location, which has been violently reorganizing the decision of XI,” said Scott Kennedy, a Chinese expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, with regard to XI Jinping, the Chinese leader.