Break out the Grizzly cooler and fire up the Broilmaster—it’s Liberation Day. In President Trump’s words, April 2 marks the end of the US of A being “ripped off by virtually every country in the world.” Trump’s trade agenda is a much needed course correction after decades of deindustrialization and failed trade policies geared towards borderless corporations. Liberation Day won’t be all fun and games for the globalists.
CEOs of American multinationals and foreign leaders are acting like they have been blindsided by Trump’s second term. Apparently, they are shocked that the president is actually making good on his campaign promises; after all, Trump has warned of tariffs since January. But we are accustomed to Western leaders saying things that cater to the home crowd, only to pursue global priorities at odds with the interests of their constituents.
One man took Trump seriously. On March 24, Hyundai Executive Chairman Chung Eui-sun spoke with Trump at a White House press conference. There, Hyundai announced a historic $21 billion investment into the domestic steel industry, including a $5.8 billion steel mill in Louisiana to make steel for Hyundai and Kia factories in Georgia and Alabama.