Listening comprehension by Martin Ehrensberger
Has President Trump started a trade war?
Read On • August 2018 Issue • page 1 page 1 of 17
© 2018 Carl Ed. Schünemann KG Bremen. All rights reserved.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
PRE-LISTENING
TASK 1:
a) Matching – Part 1 2
b) Matching – Part 2 3
c) Discussion 3
d) Presentations 3
TASK 2:
a) Describing pictures 4
b) Discussion 4
c) Mind map 5
d) Pro-/con-discussion 6
e) Writing 7
VOCABULARY
TASK 1: Crossword puzzle 8
LISTENING COMPREHENSION
TASK 1: Finishing sentences 9
Task 2: Error spotting 10
READING-COMPREHENSION
TASK 1: Reordering sentences 11
TASK 2: Reordering the text 12
TASK 3: Guided writing 13
POST-LISTENING
Full text 14
Answer key 15
Sources 17
Has President Trump started a trade war August 2018 Issue • page 1 page 2 of 17
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PRE-LISTENING TASK 1: a) How well do you know the US presidents? – Part 1 Matching: Combine the pictures of the last eight US presidents (PIC 1 – PIC 8) with their corresponding names. Be careful! There are more names than you need.
a) Bill Clinton b) Ronald Reagan
c) Richard Nixon
d) Lyndon B. Johnson
e) Gerald Ford
f) George H. W. Bush
g) Donald Trump
h) Barack Obama
i) George W. Bush
j) Jimmy Carter
Picture 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Name
PIC 1 PIC 2
PIC 5 PIC 7
PIC 3 PIC 4
PIC 6 PIC 8
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b) How well do you know the US presidents? Part 2 Match the names of the US presidents with their term of office. Put them in the correct chronological order.
a) Bill Clinton b) Ronald Reagan
c) Richard Nixon
d) Lyndon B. Johnson
e) Gerald Ford
f) George H. W. Bush
g) Donald Trump
h) Barack Obama
i) George W. Bush
j) Jimmy Carter
Term Term
1963 - 1969 1989 - 1993
1969 – 1974 1993 - 2001
1974 - 1977 2001 - 2009
1977 - 1981 2009 – 2017
1981 - 1989 2017 -
c) Discussion Discuss the following questions with your partner and then in class. Give reasons and explanations for your responses.
Are you interested in US politics? What do you know about this topic?
Where do you get most of your information? TV news, radio, internet?
Do you know all the US Presidents in the previous task?
Do you know other US presidents who aren’t mentioned in task 1b?
What do you know about Donald Trump? Do you like him?
Are you interested in how the economy works?
d) Presentations Divide your class into groups. Each group will then pick one of the following presidents and create a presentation.
a) Bill Clinton b) Ronald Reagan
c) Richard Nixon
d) Lyndon B. Johnson
e) Gerald Ford
f) George H. W. Bush
g) Donald Trump
h) Barack Obama
i) George W. Bush
j) Jimmy Carter
Include the following aspects:
- general facts - family and personal life - presidency
- domestic policy - foreign policy - any other interesting info
Create a PowerPoint presentation with pictures and perhaps videos, too. Duration: 4-5 minutes. Try to talk as freely as possible.
Has President Trump started a trade war August 2018 Issue • page 1 page 4 of 17
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TASK 2: a) Describe the pictures to your partner without showing them to each other. b) Discussion Discuss the following questions with your partner and then in class. Give reasons and explanations for your responses.
What similarities and differences can you see in the two pictures?
Would you like to be a president? If so, why? Which country would you like to rule?
If you were a president or chancellor, which things would you like to change?
Do you think you could manage a national economy?
PIC 9
PIC 10
Has President Trump started a trade war August 2018 Issue • page 1 page 5 of 17
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c) Mind map. Create a mind map with your spontaneous ideas. Share your ideas with your partner and then in class. What character traits should a president of a country have? Imagine you are the US President. What would you do to support the economy of your country?
PIC 11
PIC 11
Has President Trump started a trade war August 2018 Issue • page 1 page 6 of 17
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d) Pro-/con-discussion Read the statement below. Find five pros and five cons and discuss them with your partner and then in class. Putting taxes on foreign products is a good way to support your country’s economy.
f) Writing Imagine you have the chance to write a personal letter to US President Donald Trump. What would you want to know or ask him? Write about 150 words.
VOCABULARY TASK 1: Word salad Read the definitions below and find the nouns in the grid.
+++ PROS +++
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
--- CONS ---
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Has President Trump started a trade war August 2018 Issue • page 1 page 7 of 17
© 2018 Carl Ed. Schünemann KG Bremen. All rights reserved.
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VOCABULARY TASK 1: Crossword puzzle Read the clues below and write the correct answer in the grid.
Across: Down: 4 a strong hard metal that is made of a
mixture of iron and carbon 1 in or to a foreign country
5 one thousand million 2 the fact that different cultures and economic systems around the world are becoming connected and similar to each other because of the influence of large multinational companies and of improved communication
9 a person or company that produces goods in large quantities
3 a person who buys goods or uses services
11 to some extent; fairly 4 a way of solving a problem or dealing with a difficult situation
12 a formal choice that you make in an election or at a meeting in order to choose somebody or decide something
6 a cause or an explanation for something that has happened or that somebody has done
14 a flying vehicle with wings and one or more engines
7 a tax that is paid on goods coming into or going out of a country
15 a type of bean, originally from SE Asia, that is used instead of meat or animal protein in some types of food
8 almost or very nearly, so that any slight difference is not important
10 in or from a country that is not your own 13 money that you have to pay to the
government so that it can pay for public services.
Has President Trump started a trade war August 2018 Issue • page 1 page 8 of 17
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LISTENING COMPREHENSION
TASK 1:
Listen to the text and fill in the gaps in the following sentences. You can use two to six words for your answer. a) Are you planning to buy an American motorbike, or some new jeans? If so, you will soon
probably have to pay a bit more than you would have paid_____________________________.
b) There is a trade deficit with these countries – the US imports more goods from them
____________________________.
c) China reacted with its own tariffs on American products including
_______________________________________.
d) It means that consumers and businesses can buy the cheapest goods – or the best –
______________________________.
e) However, the tariffs introduced by the EU could cost the Republicans votes. Peanut butter,
cranberries and motorbikes might seem like pretty unimportant products, but they are all from
states that __________________________________.
click: key
Has President Trump started a trade war August 2018 Issue • page 1 page 9 of 17
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TASK 2:
Listen to the first part of the text and find the mistakes. If there is an error in a line, correct it in the space provided, otherwise put in a tick ().
Has President Trump started a trade war?
Do you like peanut butter? Or super-food cranberries? Are you planning to buy an
American motorbike, or a new jeans? If so, you will soon probably have to
pay a bit more than you would have paid at the beginning of the year. The
reason? The European Union has put tariffs – taxes on products made abroad –
on these and many other products from the US. It’s a reaction for tariffs on some
EU goods that have been introduced by US President Trump. During his 2016
election campaign, the president promised to bring jobs back to America. He says
that the US imports too many products, especially from China, but also from
Mexico, Germany, Austria and others. There is a trade deficit with these countries
– the US imports more goods from them than it exports to them. The deficit with
China was $357 billion last year, while the deficit with Germany was just under
$64 billion. If imports are made more expensive by putting tariffs on them, people
and businesses will pay cheaper home-produced goods. That reduces the deficit
and means more jobs for American workers, the president argues. It sounds like a
simple solution, and it appears to a lot of Americans working in industries that
have been hit by globalisation, such as steel and automobiles. However, other
countries can react by putting tariffs on American gods, too, which hurts US
exports. This is what is happening now. President Trump began by introducing a
25% tariff on Chinese imports worth $50 million. China reacted with its own tariffs
on American products including soybeans, pork, aeroplanes and cars. The
president also slapped tariffs on steel and aluminium from the EU, Canada and
other countries. The EU then introduced its own tariffs on US steel, tobacco,
peanut jam, jeans, motorbikes and a number of other goods. It didn’t stop there
President Trump has threatened tariffs on more goods from China. He has also
said that if the EU does not remove tariffs and trade barriers to US goods, he
could introduce a 20% tariff on European-made cards. Economists fear that this is
the start of a trade war. That doesn’t worry President Trump however. He
tweeted: [ … ]
Has President Trump started a trade war August 2018 Issue • page 1 page 10 of 17
© 2018 Carl Ed. Schünemann KG Bremen. All rights reserved.
Copies of this material may only be produced by subscribers for use in their own lessons.
READING COMPREHENSION
TASK 1:
Read the text below. Some sentences have been removed from the text. Put them (1 -6)
into their correct positions. Be careful! There are more positions than you need.
Has President Trump started a trade war?
Do you like peanut butter? Or super-food cranberries? Are you planning to buy an American motorbike, or some new jeans? [ A ]The reason? The European Union has put tariffs – taxes on products made abroad – on these and many other products from the US. It’s a reaction to tariffs on some EU goods that have been introduced by US President Trump. [ B ] During his 2016 election campaign, the president promised to bring jobs back to America. He says that the US imports too many products, especially from China, but also from Mexico, Germany, Japan and others. There is a trade deficit with these countries – the US imports more goods from them than it exports to them. [ C ]. If imports are made more expensive by putting tariffs on them, people and businesses will buy cheaper home-produced goods. That reduces the deficit and means more jobs for American workers, the president argues. It sounds like a simple solution, and it appeals to a lot of Americans working in industries that have been hit by globalisation, such as steel and automobiles. However, other countries can react by putting tariffs on American goods, too, which hurts US exports. This is what is happening now. President Trump began by introducing a 25% tariff on Chinese imports worth $50 billion. [ D ] The president also slapped tariffs on steel and aluminium from the EU, Canada and other countries. The EU then introduced its own tariffs on US steel, tobacco, peanut butter, jeans, motorbikes and a number of other goods. It didn’t stop there. President Trump has threatened tariffs on more goods from China. He has also said that if the EU does not remove tariffs and trade barriers to US goods, he could introduce a 20% tariff on European-made cars. Economists fear that this is the start of a trade war. [ E ] That doesn’t worry President Trump however. He tweeted: “When a country (USA) is losing many billions of dollars on trade with virtually every country it does business with, trade wars are good, and easy to win.” [ F ] They say that free trade – trade without tariffs and barriers – is better for everyone. It means that consumers and businesses can buy the cheapest goods – or the best – from anywhere in the world. Tariffs will likely lead to higher prices for US consumers, they say, and also for businesses buying raw materials to make products. [ G ] Thomas J. Donohue, the president of the US Chamber of Commerce, which represents 3 million businesses, said in a statement that he is “very concerned” about the possibility of a trade war. “These new tariffs would directly harm American manufacturers,” he said. [ H ] With elections to the House of Representatives and the Senate coming in November this year, President Trump is hoping that his tough action on trade with other countries will be popular and win votes for Republicans. However, the tariffs introduced by the EU could cost the Republicans votes. Peanut butter, cranberries and motorbikes might seem like pretty unimportant products, but they are all from states that are important for the Republicans. If jobs are lost because of the tariffs on these products, voters might decide that a trade war is anything but “easy to win”. [ I ]
1 China reacted with its own tariffs on American products including soybeans, pork,
aeroplanes and cars.
2 Most of President Trump’s fellow Republicans are also against the tariffs.
3 Most economists disagree with that.
4 If so, you will soon probably have to pay a bit more than you would have paid at
the beginning of the year.
5 This could harm US industry and lead to job losses.
6 The deficit with China was $375 billion last year, while the deficit with Germany
was just under $64 billion.
click: key click: key
Has President Trump started a trade war August 2018 Issue • page 1 page 11 of 17
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TASK 2:
The text has been mixed up. Put the sections of text in the correct order. The first part is
given.
Has President Trump started a trade war? By Moya Irvine
It’s a reaction to tariffs on some EU goods that have been introduced by US President Trump.
During his 2016 election campaign, the president promised to bring jobs back to America. He says
that the US imports too many products, especially from China, but also from Mexico, Germany,
Japan and others.
It sounds like a simple solution, and it appeals to a lot of Americans working in industries that have
been hit by globalisation, such as steel and automobiles. However, other countries can react by
putting tariffs on American goods, too, which hurts US exports. This is what is happening now.
President Trump began by introducing a 25% tariff on Chinese imports worth $50 billion. China
reacted with its own tariffs on American products including soybeans, pork, aeroplanes and cars.
Tariffs will likely lead to higher prices for US consumers, they say, and also for businesses buying
raw materials to make products. This could harm US industry and lead to job losses. Thomas J.
Donohue, the president of the US Chamber of Commerce, which represents 3 million businesses,
said in a statement that he is “very concerned” about the possibility of a trade war. “These new
tariffs would directly harm American manufacturers,” he said. Most of President Trump’s fellow
Republicans are also against the tariffs.
The president also slapped tariffs on steel and aluminium from the EU, Canada and other
countries. The EU then introduced its own tariffs on US steel, tobacco, peanut butter, jeans,
motorbikes and a number of other goods. It didn’t stop there. President Trump has threatened
tariffs on more goods from China. He has also said that if the EU does not remove tariffs and trade
barriers to US goods, he could introduce a 20% tariff on European-made cars. Economists fear
that this is the start of a trade war.
A Do you like peanut butter? Or super-food cranberries? Are you planning to buy an American
motorbike, or some new jeans? If so, you will soon probably have to pay a bit more than you
would have paid at the beginning of the year. The reason? The European Union has put tariffs –
taxes on products made abroad – on these and many other products from the US.
There is a trade deficit with these countries – the US imports more goods from them than it
exports to them. The deficit with China was $375 billion last year, while the deficit with Germany
was just under $64 billion. If imports are made more expensive by putting tariffs on them, people
and businesses will buy cheaper home-produced goods. That reduces the deficit and means more
jobs for American workers, the president argues.
With elections to the House of Representatives and the Senate coming in November this year, President Trump is hoping that his tough action on trade with other countries will be popular and win votes for Republicans. However, the tariffs introduced by the EU could cost the Republicans votes. Peanut butter, cranberries and motorbikes might seem like pretty unimportant products, but they are all from states that are important for the Republicans. If jobs are lost because of the tariffs on these products, voters might decide that a trade war is anything but “easy to win”.
That doesn’t worry President Trump however. He tweeted: “When a country (USA) is losing many
billions of dollars on trade with virtually every country it does business with, trade wars are good,
and easy to win.” Most economists disagree with that. They say that free trade – trade without
tariffs and barriers – is better for everyone. It means that consumers and businesses can buy the
cheapest goods – or the best – from anywhere in the world.
click: key
Has President Trump started a trade war August 2018 Issue • page 1 page 12 of 17
© 2018 Carl Ed. Schünemann KG Bremen. All rights reserved.
Copies of this material may only be produced by subscribers for use in their own lessons.
TASK 3: Guided writing
Write a blog entry for your school website about US presidents.
Include the following aspects:
General facts about US presidents
Characterization of Donald Trump
Facts about his political views
Your personal opinion of Donald Trump
Write about 200 words.
Hinweis: Sie können Ihre Vorlage aus dem Read On Übungsmaterial für Ihren eigenen Unterricht gerne vervielfältigen. Ihre Zugangsdaten dürfen Sie jedoch nicht an Dritte weitergeben. Jede Art der Mehrfachnutzung Ihres persönlichen Abos verstößt gegen das Urheberrecht.
Has President Trump started a trade war August 2018 Issue • page 1 page 13 of 17
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Full text:
Has President Trump started a trade war? US POLITICS The US has lost jobs because of cheap imports, says the president. He wants to bring them back by making foreign goods more expensive. By Moya Irvine Do you like peanut butter? Or super-food cranberries? Are you planning to buy an American motorbike, or some new jeans? If so, you will soon probably have to pay a bit more than you would have paid at the beginning of the year. The reason? The European Union has put tariffs – taxes on products made abroad – on these and many other products from the US. It’s a reaction to tariffs on some EU goods that have been introduced by US President Trump. During his 2016 election campaign, the president promised to bring jobs back to America. He says that the US imports too many products, especially from China, but also from Mexico, Germany, Japan and others. There is a trade deficit with these countries – the US imports more goods from them than it exports to them. The deficit with China was $375 billion last year, while the deficit with Germany was just under $64 billion. If imports are made more expensive by putting tariffs on them, people and businesses will buy cheaper home-produced goods. That reduces the deficit and means more jobs for American workers, the president argues. It sounds like a simple solution, and it appeals to a lot of Americans working in industries that have been hit by globalisation, such as steel and automobiles. However, other countries can react by putting tariffs on American goods, too, which hurts US exports. This is what is happening now. President Trump began by introducing a 25% tariff on Chinese imports worth $50 billion. China reacted with its own tariffs on American products including soybeans, pork, aeroplanes and cars. The president also slapped tariffs on steel and aluminium from the EU, Canada and other countries. The EU then introduced its own tariffs on US steel, tobacco, peanut butter, jeans, motorbikes and a number of other goods. It didn’t stop there. President Trump has threatened tariffs on more goods from China. He has also said that if the EU does not remove tariffs and trade barriers to US goods, he could introduce a 20% tariff on European-made cars. Economists fear that this is the start of a trade war. That doesn’t worry President Trump however. He tweeted: “When a country (USA) is losing many billions of dollars on trade with virtually every country it does business with, trade wars are good, and easy to win.” Most economists disagree with that. They say that free trade – trade without tariffs and barriers – is better for everyone. It means that consumers and businesses can buy the cheapest goods – or the best – from anywhere in the world. Tariffs will likely lead to higher prices for US consumers, they say, and also for businesses buying raw materials to make products. This could harm US industry and lead to job losses. Thomas J. Donohue, the president of the US Chamber of Commerce, which represents 3 million businesses, said in a statement that he is “very concerned” about the possibility of a trade war. “These new tariffs would directly harm American manufacturers,” he said. Most of President Trump’s fellow Republicans are also against the tariffs. With elections to the House of Representatives and the Senate coming in November this year, President Trump is hoping that his tough action on trade with other countries will be popular and win votes for Republicans. However, the tariffs introduced by the EU could cost the Republicans votes. Peanut butter, cranberries and motorbikes might seem like pretty unimportant products, but they are all from states that are important for the Republicans. If jobs are lost because of the tariffs on these products, voters might decide that a trade war is anything but “easy to win”.
Has President Trump started a trade war August 2018 Issue • page 1 page 14 of 17
© 2018 Carl Ed. Schünemann KG Bremen. All rights reserved.
Copies of this material may only be produced by subscribers for use in their own lessons.
ANSWER KEY
PRE-LISTENING TASK 1a) How well do you know the US presidents? – Part 1
TASK 1b)
Term Name of the President (a – j)
1963 - 1969 d) Lyndon B. Johnson
1969 – 1974 c) Richard Nixon
1974 - 1977 e) Gerald Ford
1977 - 1981 j) Jimmy Carter
1981 - 1989 b) Ronald Reagan
1989 - 1993 f) George H. W. Bush
1993 - 2001 a) Bill Clinton
2001 - 2009 i) George W. Bush
2009 – 2017 h) Barack Obama
2017 - g) Donald Trump
VOCABULARY TASK 1:
Picture 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Name
g j e h b i f a
Has President Trump started a trade war August 2018 Issue • page 1 page 15 of 17
© 2018 Carl Ed. Schünemann KG Bremen. All rights reserved.
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LISTENING COMPREHENSION TASK 1: a) at the beginning of the year
b) than it exports to them
c) soybeans, pork, aeroplanes and cars.
d) from anywhere in the world.
e) are important for the Republicans.
TASK 2: Do you like peanut butter? Or super-food cranberries? Are you planning to buy an
some American motorbike, or a new jeans? If so, you will soon probably have to
pay a bit more than you would have paid at the beginning of the year. The
reason? The European Union has put tariffs – taxes on products made abroad –
to on these and many other products from the US. It’s a reaction for tariffs on some
EU goods that have been introduced by US President Trump. During his 2016
election campaign, the president promised to bring jobs back to America. He says
that the US imports too many products, especially from China, but also from
Japan Mexico, Germany, Austria and others. There is a trade deficit with these countries
– the US imports more goods from them than it exports to them. The deficit with
375 China was $357 billion last year, while the deficit with Germany was just under
$64 billion. If imports are made more expensive by putting tariffs on them, people
buy and businesses will pay cheaper home-produced goods. That reduces the deficit
and means more jobs for American workers, the president argues. It sounds like a
appeals simple solution, and it appears to a lot of Americans working in industries that
have been hit by globalisation, such as steel and automobiles. However, other
goods countries can react by putting tariffs on American gods, too, which hurts US
exports. This is what is happening now. President Trump began by introducing a
billion 25% tariff on Chinese imports worth $50 million. China reacted with its own tariffs
on American products including soybeans, pork, aeroplanes and cars. The
president also slapped tariffs on steel and aluminium from the EU, Canada and
other countries. The EU then introduced its own tariffs on US steel, tobacco,
butter peanut jam, jeans, motorbikes and a number of other goods. It didn’t stop there
President Trump has threatened tariffs on more goods from China. He has also
said that if the EU does not remove tariffs and trade barriers to US goods, he
Has President Trump started a trade war August 2018 Issue • page 1 page 16 of 17
© 2018 Carl Ed. Schünemann KG Bremen. All rights reserved.
Copies of this material may only be produced by subscribers for use in their own lessons.
cars could introduce a 20% tariff on European-made cards. Economists fear that this is
the start of a trade war. That doesn’t worry President Trump however. He
tweeted: [ … ]
READING COMPREHENSION
TASK 1:
1 China reacted with its own tariffs on American products including soybeans, pork,
aeroplanes and cars.
D
2 Most of President Trump’s fellow Republicans are also against the tariffs. H
3 Most economists disagree with that. F
4 If so, you will soon probably have to pay a bit more than you would have paid at
the beginning of the year.
A
5 This could harm US industry and lead to job losses. G
6 The deficit with China was $375 billion last year, while the deficit with Germany
was just under $64 billion.
C
TASK 2:
B It’s a reaction to tariffs on some EU goods that have been introduced by US President Trump.
During his 2016 election campaign, the president promised to bring jobs back to America. He says
that the US imports too many products, especially from China, but also from Mexico, Germany,
Japan and others.
D It sounds like a simple solution, and it appeals to a lot of Americans working in industries that have
been hit by globalisation, such as steel and automobiles. However, other countries can react by
putting tariffs on American goods, too, which hurts US exports. This is what is happening now.
President Trump began by introducing a 25% tariff on Chinese imports worth $50 billion. China
reacted with its own tariffs on American products including soybeans, pork, aeroplanes and cars.
G Tariffs will likely lead to higher prices for US consumers, they say, and also for businesses buying
raw materials to make products. This could harm US industry and lead to job losses. Thomas J.
Donohue, the president of the US Chamber of Commerce, which represents 3 million businesses,
said in a statement that he is “very concerned” about the possibility of a trade war. “These new
tariffs would directly harm American manufacturers,” he said. Most of President Trump’s fellow
Republicans are also against the tariffs.
E The president also slapped tariffs on steel and aluminium from the EU, Canada and other
countries. The EU then introduced its own tariffs on US steel, tobacco, peanut butter, jeans,
motorbikes and a number of other goods. It didn’t stop there. President Trump has threatened
tariffs on more goods from China. He has also said that if the EU does not remove tariffs and trade
barriers to US goods, he could introduce a 20% tariff on European-made cars. Economists fear
that this is the start of a trade war.
A Do you like peanut butter? Or super-food cranberries? Are you planning to buy an American
motorbike, or some new jeans? If so, you will soon probably have to pay a bit more than you
would have paid at the beginning of the year. The reason? The European Union has put tariffs –
taxes on products made abroad – on these and many other products from the US.
C There is a trade deficit with these countries – the US imports more goods from them than it
exports to them. The deficit with China was $375 billion last year, while the deficit with Germany
was just under $64 billion. If imports are made more expensive by putting tariffs on them, people
and businesses will buy cheaper home-produced goods. That reduces the deficit and means more
Has President Trump started a trade war August 2018 Issue • page 1 page 17 of 17
© 2018 Carl Ed. Schünemann KG Bremen. All rights reserved.
Copies of this material may only be produced by subscribers for use in their own lessons.
jobs for American workers, the president argues.
H With elections to the House of Representatives and the Senate coming in November this year, President Trump is hoping that his tough action on trade with other countries will be popular and win votes for Republicans. However, the tariffs introduced by the EU could cost the Republicans votes. Peanut butter, cranberries and motorbikes might seem like pretty unimportant products, but they are all from states that are important for the Republicans. If jobs are lost because of the tariffs on these products, voters might decide that a trade war is anything but “easy to win”.
F That doesn’t worry President Trump however. He tweeted: “When a country (USA) is losing many
billions of dollars on trade with virtually every country it does business with, trade wars are good,
and easy to win.” Most economists disagree with that. They say that free trade – trade without
tariffs and barriers – is better for everyone. It means that consumers and businesses can buy the
cheapest goods – or the best – from anywhere in the world.
SOURCES: PIC 1: Donald Trump (2017 – present) Shealah Craighead [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/53/Donald_Trump_official_portrait_%28cropped%29.jpg PIC 2: Jimmy Carter (1977 – 1981) By Department of Defense. Department of the Navy. Naval Photographic Center [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5a/JimmyCarterPortrait2.jpg PIC 3: Gerald Ford (1974 – 1977) David Hume Kennerly [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/91/Gerald_Ford%28cropped%29.jpg PIC 4: Barack Obama (2009 – 2017) By Pete Souza/Notwist (Photo by Pete Souza, modified by uploader) [CC BY 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f9/Obama_portrait_crop.jpg PIC 5: Ronald Reagan (1981 – 1989) See page for author [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/16/Official_Portrait_of_President_Reagan_1981.jpg PIC 6: George W. Bush (2001 – 2009) By White house photo by Eric Draper. [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d4/George-W-Bush.jpeg PIC 7: George H. W. Bush (1989 – 1993) By N/A, likely POTUS [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/ff/George_H._W._Bush%2C_President_of_the_United_States%2C_1989_official_portrait_cropped.jpg Pic 8: Bill Clinton (1993 – 2001) By Bob McNeely, The White House[1] [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d3/Bill_Clinton.jpg PIC 9: Trump By The White House from Washington, DC [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ec/Donald_Trump_in_Ypsilanti_%2833998674940%29_%28cropped2%29.jpg PIC 10: G7 summit By Italian G7 Presidency 2017 (G7 Summit on g7italy.it) [CC BY 3.0 it (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/it/deed.en)], via Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b9/G7_Taormina_family_photo_2017-05-26.jpg PIC 11: Trump https://pixabay.com/de/trump-pr%C3%A4sident-onkel-sam-usa-2815558/
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