Kuala Lampur, Aug. 12 -- Donald Trump's latest move to extend the 90-day pause on punitive tariffs with China until November 9, 2025, is less a triumph of diplomacy than a tactical delay - a familiar act of kicking the can down the road.

Come November 9 2025 there is no certainty that US would act any differently from now since Christmas and New Year would be around the corner. It would be officially one year away from the mid term of American Congress in 2026. Should prices should up in 2025, they can't come down in 2026 to give the Trump Administration the necessary electoral advantage.

What's happening in US trade tactics now demonstrate the weak hand that Trump possesses. Although in the larger scheme of things, given the anaemic gr...