by Martin Armstrong
Armstrong Economics
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is wrongly advising this administration by downplaying the role tariffs will have on overall inflation. Bessent told reporters not to be concerned over tariffs as they will simply be a “one-time price adjustment” when that is far from reality. These tariffs come with massive side effects that will ripple across the global economy.
“Look, can tariffs be a one-time price adjustment? Yes… I would hope that the failed team transitory could get back together and think that nothing is more transitory than tariffs if it’s a one-time price adjustment,” Bessent said in reference to Biden administration officials saying that the historic inflation of several years ago was “transitory.” He later added, “The economic program is a whole of government, holistic program, and I think that we could get a one-time price adjustment,” Bessent said, adding that “across the continuum, I’m not worried about inflation.”