Trading places

I agree with Brian Wilson that trade wars are usually damaging to economies in the long

term (Scotsman, June 8). I have reread President Trump’s statements and he appears to be aiming for an equalisation of the tariffs applied on both side sofa trading arrangement.

For example, to import a car from France to the USA would appear to incur a 2.5 per cent import duty. To import a car from the USA to France would require a ten per cent import duty then 20 per cent VAT. If it was an American pickup truck then duty would be 22 per cent.

President Trump is taking this action to improve the employment prospects for his voting base – is this really a bad thing?

TOM WALKER Loanhead, Midlothian