Fighting for better trade terms with China arguably makes good sense for the USA.
On the other hand, picking trade fights with close allies & major partners like Canada and the EU is absurd.
On the other hand, picking trade fights with close allies & major partners like Canada and the EU is absurd.
It is literally the same concept as attempting to get as many offers when you sell a house so you can sell to the highest bidder.
There’s nothing wrong with negotiating with friends, but when you go out of your way to constantly piss them off and threaten them, you’re not going to have any friends for long.
No. I didn’t say that. Nobody said that. What?
Well, I'd argue that if you're seeking "fair value" and are 1) not unreasonable, 2) your friend is not unreasonable, and 3) there is more or less a market price or consensus about the value of an object, there is little no risk of destroying the friendship -- reasonable people can seek fair value and market transactions can support claims about value. If 1, 2, or 3 aren't in place then your friendship is on shaky ground already (someone is unreasonable) or the market for an object is just hard to price (and more information is required for reasonable people to come to a consensus.)