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The Alternative Theory on Tariffs That's All About Boxing Out China

President Donald Trump’s so-called “Liberation Day” tariffs, which imposed levies even on obscure and remote territories like the Heard and McDonald Islands and its population of penguins — were not designed for economic precision. Instead, some experts argue, they are meant to block every conceivable route for Chinese goods to reach the United States—boxing China […]

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The Alternative Theory on Tariffs That's All About Boxing Out China

President Donald Trump’s so-called “Liberation Day” tariffs, which imposed levies even on obscure and remote territories like the Heard and McDonald Islands and its population of penguins — were not designed for economic precision.

Instead, some experts argue, they are meant to block every conceivable route for Chinese goods to reach the United States—boxing China out of the global supply chain and reordering the world’s trading system.

“The formula has been widely mocked, but that misses the point,” trade expert Henry Gao, professor at Singapore Management University, wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “The numbers aren’t meant to hold up in a PhD defense—they’re meant to shock, to create leverage. The more extreme the figure, the stronger the incentive for other countries to come to the negotiating table with the U.S.”

In a series of posts, Gao described the strategy as “intentionally chaotic,” but with a focused aim: isolating China by any means necessary, even if it causes friction with long-standing U.S. trade partners. “All countries have become collateral damage in the U.S.-China economic standoff,” he said.

That theory, while not explicitly backed by the White House, was eluded by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick during a bombastic appearance on CBS’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday, where he defended the tariffs that have dragged U.S. stocks lower, marking one of the most volatile weeks for Wall Street in recent memory.

“What China started doing was they started going through other countries to America,” Lutnick told CBS’s Margaret Brennan. “So basically he [Trump] said, look, I can’t let any part of the world be a place where China or other countries can ship through them… He’s going to fix that.”

A Global Tariff Net Aimed at One Target?

While the list of “reciprocal” tariffs may seem scattershot—targeting American allies and critical trading partners in Europe and Asia—some analysts have warmed to the theory that the president’s underlying goal is to close every possible backdoor China could use to preserve its export dominance.

That logic helps explain why the administration included countries like Cambodia and Vietnam in its latest round of tariffs—nations often viewed as extensions of China’s supply chain. For its part, Vietnam was among the first nations to respond to the tariffs by dropping its export duties for the U.S. to zero. It’s not yet clear if that is enough to placate the White House.

Todd Belt, director of the Graduate School of Political Management at George Washington University, said the goal of isolating China may not have been fully intentional at first, but it has become central to the story.

President Donald Trump
President Donald Trump holds his tariff chart in the Rose Garden at the White House on April 2, 2025 in Washington, DC.
President Donald Trump holds his tariff chart in the Rose Garden at the White House on April 2, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

“Trump’s tariffs weren’t originally designed with this complexity in mind,” Belt told Newsweek. “But the Chinese government understands the dynamic well. We can already see them responding by trying to build new markets for component parts.”

This aligns with Beijing’s escalating posture in the face of a cascade of new tariffs, the latest of which the White House said would go into effect as scheduled at midnight Wednesday.

“[Chinese President] Xi has built up an image of himself as a defiant strongman helming a powerful country,” Julian Gewirtz, a former White House China adviser, told The New York Times. “China’s official messaging is conveying that they are determined to stand up to U.S. pressure even at high costs.”

The Chinese foreign ministry has called the tariffs “economic bullying” and vowed to “fight to the end,” and Beijing responded to last week’s round of “reciprocal” tariffs with its own 34 hike in tariffs on U.S. goods.

US Companies Already Making Moves

As the tariffs took effect, tech giant Apple was said to be ramping up its production in India, shifting supply lines that once ran directly through China, in a bid to escape the harsh Chinese tariffs. The same day it was reported Apple flew planes full of iPhones from New Delhi, the Wall Street Journal reported that the company is planning to produce up to 25 million iPhones in India this year, potentially covering half of its U.S. market demand.

Donald Trump meets Chinese President Xi Jinping
U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a meeting on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Osaka, Japan, on June 29, 2019.
U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a meeting on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Osaka, Japan, on June 29, 2019.
Susan Walsh/AP Photo

The move may be as much about evading Chinese tariffs as it is about strategic realignment. Apple faced a 54 percent levy on Chinese-manufactured goods under the new policy, compared to a more manageable 26 percent on Indian exports. The shift from Apple had a secondary, perhaps psychological, effect: denting China’s ability to produce the most popular consumer product in the world, and shifting that production to its biggest rival in the East.

Bloomberg reported Monday that Apple stocked up on inventory ahead of the tariffs as part of its efforts to prepare for their arrival, which should delay the impact of the tariffs on Apple’s bottom line at least into the next quarter. In the meantime, the company has also sought exemptions from the new tariffs, repeating a strategy that worked during Trump’s first term.

If the “isolate China at all costs” theory is correct, it would amount to one of the riskier bets Trump has ever taken, with profound opportunities for collateral damage to U.S. relationships as well as the domestic economy, which was the beneficiary of $440 billion in Chinese imports last year.

Joseph Foudy, professor at NYU’s Stern School of Business, questioned the coherence of the strategy. “We’re essentially picking fights with every major country in the world,” Foudy said. “Even if we end up cutting deals, the level of acrimony and the signal that the U.S. is no longer a reliable long-term partner weakens our position.”

Foudy argued the administration could have crafted a more targeted approach if its goal was to target Beijing—starting with tariffs solely on China, then expanding only if it was detected that China was flouting the tariffs by rerouting exports through non-tariffed countries or territories.

stocks down
Pedestrian are reflected on a brokerage house’s window as an electronic board displays shares trading index, in Beijing, Monday, April 7, 2025.
Pedestrian are reflected on a brokerage house’s window as an electronic board displays shares trading index, in Beijing, Monday, April 7, 2025.
AP Photo/Andy Wong

“But instead, we’re imposing tariffs on countries like Australia, which actually has a trade surplus with the U.S. That raises doubts about whether this is really a focused strategy—or just a repackaging of a broader tariff policy after the fact.”

Gordon G. Chang, an American lawyer known for his influential writings on China, wrote in a Newsweek opinion piece this week that China’s economy is more precarious than advertised, and that Beijing enters into this trade war in a weakened position.

“Trump holds all the high cards,” Chang wrote. “Xi, in short, has placed the fate of the Chinese economy in the hands of the leader of that irreplaceable export market, the American one.” He added that “there are winners in trade wars. In this particular trade war, the winner will not be China.”

Trump, who famously sees himself as a dealmaker above all else, may be expecting China to come to the table in the end. “I don’t think he’s bluffing either,” said Belt. “He’s willing to put the U.S. through some short-term pain to get what he sees as a deal that benefits the country and reflects well on him.”

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UTSA adds Dutch Champion decathlete Ryan Heeren – UTSA Athletics

SAN ANTONIO – Further bolstering the Roadrunners’ multi-events squad for the coming season, UTSA Director of Track & Field/Cross Country Aaron Fox announced on Wednesday, July 9, that the Roadrunners will welcome Dutch multi-event champion Ryan Heeren to the roster for the upcoming 2025 season. “We’re excited to add another high-ceiling athlete to our multi-event […]

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SAN ANTONIO – Further bolstering the Roadrunners’ multi-events squad for the coming season, UTSA Director of Track & Field/Cross Country Aaron Fox announced on Wednesday, July 9, that the Roadrunners will welcome Dutch multi-event champion Ryan Heeren to the roster for the upcoming 2025 season.

“We’re excited to add another high-ceiling athlete to our multi-event crew,” Fox said. “Ryan’s trajectory over the past two years will make him a solid addition to our squad and we can’t wait to get him to San Antonio to get to work reaching his goals on the track and in the classroom.”

Hailing from Breda, Netherlands, Heeren is fresh off winning the Dutch U20 Combined Events Championships in the decathlon with a career-best 6,949 points on July 6 at Sportpark Stadsbroek in Assen, Netherlands – registering four career bests in the title victory by topping the 100-meter with a personal-best time of 11.06, the 400-meter with a PB time of 49.74, the long jump with a PB measurement of 6.93m (22-9), shot put on a mark of 12.46m (40-10.5), 110-meter hurdles on a PB 14.56 clocking and pole vault at 3.76m (12-4). His scores are on a major upswing this summer, logging a third-place finish in his previous multis outing with a combined 6,807 points at the Heerenveen Meerkamp U20 in Heerenveen, Netherlands on June 1. He won the 100-meter section with an 11.19 clocking, finishing second in the 400m (49.94) and javelin (47.57m/156-1) and scoring third in five additional events. In February, Heeren won the 60-meter hurdles at the ASICS Dutch U20 Indoor Championships in Apeldoorn, clocking a career-best 8.21 seconds for the national title, while also reaching 6.83m (22-5) for third in the long jump. Just one week earlier, he posted bronze at the same facility in the heptathlon at the Dutch U20 Indoor Combined Events Championships, scoring a career mark of 5,237 points after winning the 60-meter section (7.21) and hitting a 6.86m (22-6.25) leap for second in the long jump section.

Last season, Heeren was seventh outdoor at the Dutch U20 Combined Events Championships, registering a decathlon score of 6,247 points, winning the 100m section. In 2023, he scored a fifth-place 6,004 decathlon mark – paced by a victory in the 100m section.

 

– UTSA –



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Coaches Pick UK to Win Another SEC Volleyball Title

Coaches Pick UK to Win Another SEC Volleyball Title | Your Sports Edge 2021 Loading… 3333520018 Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; Intel Mac OS X 10_15_7) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/107.0.0.0 Safari/537.36 d2f27bba463c6cab85f49f14b6dc145c37fa9eba 1 Link 0

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AVP league at Intuit Dome

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — It’s a new concept in beach volleyball and happening in cities around the country, including Los Angeles. Beach volleyball is coming indoors to the Intuit Dome thanks to the AVP league. Eight truckloads of sand totaling 300 tons will be brought in to the arena for the event. Professional players Hagen Smith […]

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EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — It’s a new concept in beach volleyball and happening in cities around the country, including Los Angeles. Beach volleyball is coming indoors to the Intuit Dome thanks to the AVP league.

Eight truckloads of sand totaling 300 tons will be brought in to the arena for the event.

Professional players Hagen Smith and Logan Webber joined “Your Morning” to share more about the event.

Click the arrow above to watch the segment.



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Monumental Sports & Entertainment and ViewLift Forge a Strategic Alliance to Power Broadcast and Streaming Solutions for Professional Sports Teams

First-of-its-kind venture combines unmatched linear and digital distribution expertise to help teams thrive in evolving regional media landscape  Washington, D.C. and New York, NY (July 9, 2025) – As the sports media environment rapidly evolves and the industry navigates shifting viewer behavior, Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE) and ViewLift announced today the creation of a […]

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First-of-its-kind venture combines unmatched linear and digital distribution expertise to help teams thrive in evolving regional media landscape 

Washington, D.C. and New York, NY (July 9, 2025) – As the sports media environment rapidly evolves and the industry navigates shifting viewer behavior, Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE) and ViewLift announced today the creation of a comprehensive broadcast and streaming solution built to meet the local distribution needs of professional sports teams across the U.S. This trailblazing initiative is set to formally launch this fall. 

This strategic alliance brings together two powerhouses in the sports media industry. MSE is recognized as one of the most influential enterprises in media across the professional sports landscape. MSE was honored in late June as the Sports & Entertainment Company of the Year for Engagement Excellence at the 2025 Hashtag Sports Awards and its flagship regional media platform, Monumental Sports Network (MNMT), took home Broadcast Team of the Year honors. MSE owns and distributes the local broadcast rights for the Washington Capitals (NHL), Washington Wizards (NBA), Washington Mystics (WNBA), and Capital City Go-Go (NBA G League) via MNMT, maintains league-level media committee representation across all its teams, and operates one of the largest in-house production teams in the NBA, NHL, and WNBA. 

ViewLift is a digital solutions provider with deep live video distribution expertise, recognized this year as a Power Player in Sports Streaming by Sports Business Journal, and Broadcast or Media Company of the Year by IABM for 2024. Powering platforms for sports and media brands worldwide, ViewLift provides content management, multi-platform distribution, real-time analytics and flexible monetization models, creating scalable streaming experiences optimized for audience engagement and revenue.  

Together, the two organizations are offering their services to create bespoke, fully-delivered, and future-ready solutions for sports teams and ownership groups navigating a fragmented and constantly changing distribution environment for local media. Whether teams are seeking expertise around linear television reach, direct-to-consumer (DTC) streaming, or a hybrid model, MSE and ViewLift can deliver an integrated toolkit that includes: 

Overall strategic advisory and media consulting 

Revenue optimization advisement, including ad sales and sponsorship, linear monetization, and subscription services (SVOD) with churn-reduction tools 

End-to-end streaming DTC and TV Everywhere (TVE) digital development, including: 

Custom apps across web, mobile, and connected TVs 

Scalable content and video management systems 

Real-time analytics and performance insights 

Flexible monetization models (AVOD, SVOD, TVOD, hybrid) 

Game and studio programming production; co-production of shoulder programming; and potential programming distribution within a network that already includes 16 major U.S. professional sports teams and six RSNs 

Additional services to be announced 

Monumental has served as a real-world innovation lab for what’s possible when linear and digital media are unified under one roof,” said Zach Leonsis, President of Media & New Enterprises at MSE. “With multiple professional teams, our own media platform, and more than a decade of direct-to-consumer experience across our enterprise, we’ve faced—and solved—many of the challenges teams across the country are now confronting. This alliance is our way of sharing that playbook and we’re excited to help others successfully distribute their content in their local markets, in partnership with ViewLift.” 

This venture extends a longstanding collaboration between MSE and ViewLift. Since MSE bought back its teams’ live rights by purchasing NBC Sports Washington from NBC Universal in 2022, MSE has relied on ViewLift’s expertise to help build MNMT’s OTT infrastructure and create a cutting-edge, fully digital media platform. Their most notable joint product, Monumental+ (M+), launched ahead of the 2024–25 NBA and NHL seasons. The award-winning platform elevated the D.C. region’s sports streaming experience with unique access to live games, original content, and innovative fan features like alternate camera angles, a multi-view feature, and a live sports betting and gamification experience — raising the bar for regional sports networks nationwide. 

“ViewLift works with 16 major professional sports teams, six regional sports networks, and multiple leagues in the U.S., including the NBA and NHL,” added Rick Allen, CEO of ViewLift. “We know what works when it comes to OTT technology and strategy—but many clients also need top-tier help with broadcast production, operations, and the broadest set of monetization tools. That’s where Monumental comes in. Together, we offer something truly unmatched in the industry.” 

This alliance represents a new, team-centric model for localized content distribution—designed to help sports organizations take control of their media future and build stronger connections with fans across every screen. 

### 

About Monumental Sports & Entertainment
Monumental Sports & Entertainment is one of America’s leading integrated sports and entertainment companies and is ranked as one of the most valuable globally. Our people, players, teams, and events bring excitement and joy to millions. We invest and innovate to consistently raise the game so we can deliver extraordinary experiences that will inspire and unite our community, our fans, and our people. To learn more, please visit monumentalsports.com. 

About Monumental Sports Network
Monumental Sports Network is wholly owned and operated by Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE). The network holds exclusive local television media rights for the NHL’s Washington Capitals, NBA’s Washington Wizards and WNBA’s Washington Mystics games. MNMT is also the TV and digital home to the NBA G League’s Capital City Go-Go and the NBA 2K League’s Wizards District Gaming as well as exclusive behind-the-scenes content and original sports and entertainment programming. The network also boasts the most comprehensive regional high school and collegiate sports programming in the greater Washington D.C. metro area. For more, visit: monumentalsportsnetwork.com. 

About ViewLift 

ViewLift is a technology company providing digital solutions for content owners, with particular expertise in live and on-demand video distribution. With proprietary cloud-based technology, ViewLift powers digital platforms for sports, media, and entertainment brands worldwide. Its services include content management, multi-platform distribution, real-time analytics, viewer engagement tools, and flexible monetization models (AVOD, SVOD, TVOD, and hybrid models). ViewLift enables content owners to maximize audience engagement and revenue through a seamless, scalable streaming experience. ViewLift’s sports clients include the National Hockey League, 16 US top professional sports teams; LIV Golf; six Regional Sports Networks; the Professional Fighters League; and the World Racing Group. The company’s media clients include NBC; TEGNA; and Kroenke Sports & Entertainment’s MOTV. For more information about ViewLift, visit www.viewlift.com. 



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Two Husker Gymnasts Earn Academic All-America Honors – University of Nebraska

Nebraska men’s gymnasts Asher Cohen and Taylor Christopulos were honored Wednesday, as both were tabbed for the 2025 Academic All-America® at-large teams selected by College Sports Communicators. Cohen, who carries a 3.97 GPA in biological sciences, was a second-team selection, while Christopulos, who is in graduate school and has a 3.66 GPA in strategic innovation […]

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Nebraska men’s gymnasts Asher Cohen and Taylor Christopulos were honored Wednesday, as both were tabbed for the 2025 Academic All-America® at-large teams selected by College Sports Communicators.

Cohen, who carries a 3.97 GPA in biological sciences, was a second-team selection, while Christopulos, who is in graduate school and has a 3.66 GPA in strategic innovation & entrepreneurship, was a third-team honoree. The at-large team is composed of student-athletes from 10 men’s sports, including fencing, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, rifle, skiing, volleyball, water polo and wrestling.

Cohen earned his second Academic All-America award after claiming a third-team honor in 2024. He has been instrumental in helping Nebraska to three straight top-five finishes at the NCAA Championships. He is a also a two-time All-American in the gym after placing seventh on the still rings at the 2025 NCAA Championships. He was the runner-up at the 2025 Big Ten Championships in the event. In the classroom, he is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and a two-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar.

Christopulos completed his Husker collegiate career as a 10-time All-American. He earned All-America honors in the all-around and pommel horse at the 2025 NCAA Championships to fuel Nebraska’s fourth-place team finish. He won the 2025 Nissen-Emery Award, which is presented to the top senior college gymnast. He was also a two-time Big Ten Gymnast of the Year (2023, 2025). A three-time team captain, he was a four-time Academic All-Big Ten selection.

Cohen and Christopulos bring Nebraska’s Academic All-America total to seven in 2024-25, joining Bergan Reilly (VB), Lexi Rodriguez (VB), Merritt Beason (VB), Gena Jorgenson (Swim) and Jordyn Bahl (SB). The final Academic All-America teams for 2024-25 will be announced July 15-16 with the announcement of the men’s and women’s track and field/cross country teams. The overall CSC Academic All-Americans of the Year will be announced on Wednesday, July 30.



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Men’s volleyball to join GLVC as associate member in 2025-26

Story Links INDIANAPOLIS – The Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) announced Tuesday the University of Jamestown will join the league as an associate member in men’s volleyball, in the inaugural 2025-26 season. The inaugural season of GLVC men’s volleyball will feature eight institutions, including full-time league members Maryville University, Missouri S&T, […]

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INDIANAPOLIS – The Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) announced Tuesday the University of Jamestown will join the league as an associate member in men’s volleyball, in the inaugural 2025-26 season.

The inaugural season of GLVC men’s volleyball will feature eight institutions, including full-time league members Maryville University, Missouri S&T, Quincy University, Rockhurst University, and Southwest Baptist University, as well as associate members Roosevelt University, Thomas More University and University of Jamestown. Thomas More was approved for associate membership status in October 2023, while Roosevelt was approved in May 2024.

“We’re pleased to be able to provide a home for the Jamestown’s men’s volleyball program in the GLVC as their institution reclassifies to NCAA Division II,” said Jim Naumovich, GLVC Commissioner.  “Their inclusion helps us to grow our schedule and provide additional competition opportunities for all eight teams in the league.”

The University of Jamestown is a private, four-year, liberal arts university founded in 1883 by Presbyterian settlers. It is located in Jamestown, N.D., – population 15,500 – in southeastern North Dakota, just 100 miles from the capital city, Bismarck, and 100 miles to the east is North Dakota’s largest city, Fargo.

“The University of Jamestown is excited to join the GLVC in men’s volleyball.” Said University of Jamestown Athletic Director Austin Hieb, “We couldn’t be happier to join this conference that decided to establish itself as a home for volleyball. We can’t wait to see what the years ahead have in store for us.”

The Jimmies will enter their seventh season of competition with this their first in Division II, making the switch from NAIA on July 1, 2025. Jamestown joined the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) as a full-time member. They are coached by Toby Rens, who was announced as the new head coach on July 3. In his most recent collegiate season, Rens went 17-11 at NCAA Division III Oswego State University. In 2024 the Jimmies went 22-2 and were knocked out in championship pool play.

The inaugural GLVC Men’s Volleyball Championship Tournament will take place April 23-25, 2026, as a four-team, single-elimination format at a site yet to be determined.

 

For more information on GLVC men’s volleyball, stay tuned online at GLVCsports.com and social media (@GLVCsports; #GLVCmvb) throughout the coming years.

 

 



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