[Swift]

Of course...

Donald Trump personally chose the formula used to determine country-specific tariffs, according to the Washington Post.

Despite being presented with a variety of options to determine tariff rates for specific countries, the president ultimately chose the simple formula based on the trade deficit with each country and the total value of its US exports, the outlet reports.

Those who presented various options included officials from the White House National Economic Council, the Commerce Department, the Council of Economic Advisers and the Office of the United States Trade Representative, people familiar with the matter told the Post.

They added that “numerous more sophisticated approaches were developed than the one Trump selected”.

Since Trump’s reveal of his tariffs, which have sent shockwaves across the global markets, economists have been stunned by what they call a formula created by “willing sycophants”.

“This is not serious trade policy or grand strategy,” Adam Tooze, an economic historian at Columbia University, told the Guardian.

“The boss hates trade deficits and his team of willing sycophants came up with a formula, however idiotic, that ticked the box,” he added.