Trump Economic Policy and Tariffs

Attacks, mine‑laying and targeted strikes around the Strait of Hormuz have effectively choked roughly 20% of seaborne oil flows, sending Brent and WTI briefly toward $120 before settling near $100 a barrel and prompting the IEA to call it the largest supply disruption in history. Governments including Japan, Germany and the U.S. (which will draw 172 million barrels from a coordinated 400‑million‑barrel IEA release) have moved to release reserves and impose emergency measures while Asia‑wide shortages and demand curbs—from LPG scarcities and hotel closures in India to university shutdowns and shorter workweeks elsewhere—feed fuel‑price pain at the pump (U.S. averages about $3.6–$3.7/gal) and raise fears of stagflation and recession.