Are Trillions in Foreign Investment Promises to America Just Smoke and Mirrors?

President Trump’s bold negotiation strategy leveraged tariffs to extract staggering investment pledges from some of America’s biggest trading partners, touting figures upwards of $5 trillion. Yet, behind these headline numbers lurks deep uncertainty about whether these promises will truly materialize or benefit hardworking Americans as touted.Can We Trust These Bulky Investment Pledges?The Peterson Institute for International Economics, respected yet nonpartisan, lays bare the fragile foundation beneath these gargantuan commitments. Analysts Gregory Auclair and Adnan Mazarei warn that many pledges carry no legally binding force and often lack clear metrics for verification.Consider the European Union’s $600 billion pledge: while impressive on...