Who coined the term 'TACO Trade' that ruffles Donald Trump every time someone mentions it?

A reporter asked Trump about something called "TACO trade" on May 28, and he got really mad. "TACO" stands for "Trump Always Chickens Out", it mocks how Trump threatens big tariffs but then backs out, as per the report.

Trump replied sarcastically, saying "Oh, I chicken out. Isn’t that nice? I’ve never heard that." Then he defended himself by saying he cut China tariffs for 90 days and pushed the EU tariff deadline to July 9. He also said, "Six months ago, this country was stone cold dead." He claimed America was in bad shape before he stepped in, as per the Financial Times report.



Trump called the reporter’s question "nasty" and said his moves were part of "negotiation." The term "TACO trade" was created this month by Robert Armstrong, a columnist at the Financial Times.

Armstrong used it to explain how investors react to Trump’s tariff U-turns, markets fall when tariffs are announced, then go back up when Trump backs off, so investors buy low and wait for a rebound, according to reports.

On April 2, Trump announced big tariffs on imports from most countries, calling it "Liberation Day." Since January 20, Trump's team has made over 50 tariff changes, but many were later reversed, as per Washington Post report.

After markets dropped, Trump paused most tariffs and made it a flat 10% rate for most countries. China originally had a 145% tariff, but Trump cut it to 30%, where it still is. He also paused tariffs on Canada and Mexico, and gave exceptions for electronic products.

Trump said he reduced China’s tariffs because Beijing agreed to open trade. For the EU, Trump said leaders called him and asked for a meeting, so he extended the deadline. Finally, he repeated to the reporter, "Don't ever say what you said because that's a nasty question", as per reports.

FAQs

Q1. What does TACO trade mean in politics?
It stands for "Trump Always Chickens Out" and mocks Trump’s habit of backing off from tough tariff plans.

Q2. Who coined the term TACO trade?
Financial Times columnist Robert Armstrong came up with it.