President-elect Trump’s emphatic promise of new tariffs is sharpening the debate over how he will handle the economy. It’s likely the single most important domestic issue of his second term. Trump is poised to enjoy almost perfect timing in taking the reins of an economy on the rise.

Hello, this is Colum Murphy in Beijing, where Donald Trump’s penchant for doing the surprising … well … surprised everyone again this week.

The president-elect’s opening salvo in trade and border talks with the United States’ neighbors is casting a harsh light on the North American alliance.