Sri Lanka was unexpectedly highlighted during a CNN discussion on the Trump administration’s new tariff proposals. Host Erin Burnett and University of Chicago economics professor Brent Neiman questioned the logic behind including Sri Lanka on the tariff list, despite the country’s limited trade imbalance with the United States.
“Americans buy a lot of clothes from Sri Lanka, but Sri Lanka doesn’t buy many gas turbines from America. That’s not a trade imbalance that needs to be corrected,” Burnett noted.
Neiman echoed the sentiment, expressing surprise at seeing countries like Sri Lanka, Jordan, and Zambia on the list, suggesting that the tariff strategy reflects a “mistaken philosophy” in how reciprocal trade is being calculated.
US President Donald Trump has now announced a 90-day pause on the implementation of higher tariffs apart from China (NewsWire).
“Americans buy a lot of clothes from Sri Lanka, but Sri Lanka doesn’t buy many gas turbines from America. That’s not a trade imbalance that needs to be corrected,” CNN’s Erin Burnett discusses Trump’s tariff math with economics professor Brent Neiman pic.twitter.com/SwY0EgXD4J
— NewsWire 🇱🇰 (@NewsWireLK) April 9, 2025