Musk Proposes Zero Tariffs 'US-Europe' While Standing in Trump's Tariff Tsunami

"Trump's Tariff Tsunami Begins: World Scrambles as 10% Tax Kicks In"

In what trade experts are calling "the single biggest trade action of our lifetime," American customs officials began collecting President Trump's new 10% tariff on imports early Saturday morning, targeting countries from Australia to Saudi Arabia.

The move comes after Wall Street suffered its worst week since 2020, with investors finally accepting that Trump's "Liberation Day" tariff announcement wasn't just tough talk but actual policy. As one former Trump trade adviser put it, this represents "a pretty seismic and significant shift in the way that we trade with every country on earth."

Meanwhile, Elon Musk, apparently living in an alternate economic universe, suggested that "Europe and the United States should move, ideally, in my view, to a zero-tariff situation" - a statement with timing roughly equivalent to suggesting swimwear during a blizzard.

The initial 10% tariff is just the opening act. By Wednesday, April 9, additional duties will hit 185 countries Trump has labeled "worst offenders," with the European Union facing a 20% rate. The response has been swift: Canada announced new duties on certain US vehicles, while China plans to impose a matching 34% tariff on US goods starting April 10.

Companies, displaying the economic creativity that capitalism demands, have largely responded by doing what businesses do best in such situations - passing the costs directly to consumers.

As the world adjusts to Trump's new economic order, the only certainty seems to be uncertainty - except for the president's promise that "my policies will never change." At least we can count on something.