Just when we thought all was safe in the markets, the White House brought out Wilbur Ross. Wilbur is the current commerce secretary and the man behind the threats of a trade war. It’s no surprise that Wilbur’s calming words on CNBC this week about “not a depression” and “not the end of the world” did not calm the markets.
Protectionism was one of the main causes of the Great Depression and helped to create an international environment that eventually led to World War II. The lesson we supposedly learned from this is that trade promotes both prosperity and peace. So, what are these tariffs really going to accomplish and how will they impact our investments?