In the justification of his recent announcement, President Donald Trump complains of the unfair trade deficit, saying that the United States was “looting, looting, rape and looting” by other countries for decades.

He blamed China for the exploitation of the United States through unfair trade agreements, condemned the high definitions of Canada on American dairy as unacceptable, and criticized Cambodia for imposing excessive customs tariffs and benefiting from the expense of the United States for years.

What he left in his repeated criticism is the trade surplus that the United States benefits from when it comes to making his country’s services.

Services make up about 70 percent of the American economy. This includes a wide range of companies, including education, health care, travel, hotels and financial services, as well as media and entertainment, insurance, maintenance and reform, and shipping to use intellectual property, among other things.

Economists say exports of these services contribute about 25 percent of the American economy.

“The United States has a strong relative advantage in many major services industries: education, health, financing, accounting and entertainment. This explains the trade surplus,” said Gary Hofbur, his non -resident colleague at the Peterson International Economy Institute.

In 2023, the United States topped the services of $ 1.02 trillion, an increase of 8 percent from the previous year, and imported services compared to $ 748.2 billion, an increase of 5 percent. He left this with a trade surplus of $ 278 billion, a trend that extends to at least two decades.

“Trump may be ignorant of the surplus of services trade, but he probably believes that he can obtain more popular approval by talking about the deficit in the manufactured goods,” added, referring to the car factor that Trump can be able to obtain more popular approval by talking about the deficit in manufactured goods, “noting that Trump’s car worker brought during his introduction on Wednesday as an example of supporting the definitions between the American working class.

Rachel Zimba, economist and assistant colleague at a new American security center, agreed to “confused” Trump has never referred to this scale.

“He was the same way in his first term, despite the fact that he spent his career in services,” Zimba said, referring to the real estate of Trump, tourism and entertainment, in Trump, all of which are subject to services.

Zimba said that Trump’s focus on goods reflects the fact that manufacturing is important for the industrial base, including the defense sector, and it will be difficult to wear many manufacturing capabilities with increased productivity.

Zimba said: “But it is surprising that he does not look at the full picture and on the ways in which his policies are at risk. In addition, the severing research undermines advanced manufacturing. His entire team reduces the assessment of services,” Zimba said.

Vulnerable

There is a fact that many voters in Trump are in the manufacturing belt, where jobs and lifestyles have eroded where many plants were closed as the work was transferred to cheaper destinations abroad – one of the reasons that Trump focused on trade imbalances.

He also felt that the lack of local manufacturing and supply chains during the Covid’s pandemic when the trade stopped and initially resumed at the snail when the international borders began to reopen them.

But none of this deviates from the fact that the most recent cruel tariff policies of Trump will leave the American services sector vulnerable to revenge.

Hofbauer said that foreign countries can reject operating permits for American business companies and can impose taxes on digital services. They can also suspend publishing rights, brands, and patents temporarily or prohibited the payment of royalties.

For decades, the United States has worked to secure access to foreign markets and protect intellectual property of American services companies.

“Some countries have tried to limit the access to Hollywood entertainment through screen classes and other devices. On the whole, that success was not. But this time they can call tougher measures,” said Hofbauer.

He added: “American service and technology companies may lose a lot of access to the markets and exchange market value, as a result of the Trump definition war.”

Although there may be no widespread alternatives to American programs, countries have imposed taxes such as digital service taxes and data localization requirements, although they are paid for privacy needs more than the source of revenue.

There are already some “local purchase” trends – and a boycott – in parts of the world that can be officially characterized by government policies.

However, Zieba warned of any country planning to apply taxes to these American services, there is always a danger that this step may lead to counterproductive as it will increase the costs of the local market and lead to more revenge on Trump.

By focusing on manufacturing services, Trump uses “his rule on where he can support political support.”