Core Viewpoint - The article argues that the market may overestimate the impact of tariffs on exports, suggesting that the elasticity of tariff shocks is non-linear and may decrease as tariff rates increase, leading to a more muted impact on exports than previously assumed [2][9]. Group 1: Misconceptions about Tariff Impact - The elasticity of tariff shocks exhibits a "non-linear decreasing" characteristic, meaning that as tariff rates rise, the marginal impact on exports may decline. For instance, the elasticity of the tariff shock for the current 145% tariff has dropped from 1.8 to 0.3 [2][12][15]. - Tariffs have a "reflexive" nature, where U.S. importers can apply for exemptions, which were not negotiated by China but initiated by U.S. importers. During the first round of tariffs, the exemption rate reached as high as 60% for certain goods, indicating the significant impact of trade friction on the U.S. economy [2][21][22]. - The U.S. has recently issued a new round of tariff exemption lists, with a total import scale of $22.03 billion from China, suggesting that the sustainability of high tariffs is questionable [2][30]. Group 2: Trade Partners' Counterbalancing Power - Canada and Mexico have not been subjected to reciprocal tariffs, becoming key "trade transit" channels that can mitigate the export pressure on China to the U.S. by up to 23% [3][41]. - Emerging markets are seen as partners rather than adversaries, with a significant portion of exports to these countries driven by their internal demand rather than just supply chain collaboration [3][43][49]. - The deep integration of supply chains means that imposing tariffs on China could hinder the industrialization processes of emerging countries, as they rely heavily on Chinese intermediate and capital goods [3][53]. Group 3: Confusion between Exports, GDP, and Employment - The article highlights the confusion between the concepts of export value and GDP, emphasizing that a decline in exports does not necessarily equate to a decline in GDP due to the buffering effect of imports [6][58]. - The shift towards general trade, which reduces reliance on imports, has led to a significant increase in trade surpluses, particularly in sectors like mobile phones, indicating a structural change in trade dynamics [6][63][65]. - The impact of export declines on domestic employment is overstated, as the elasticity of employment response to export changes is less than one, meaning that domestic job creation can occur through import substitution [6][73][80].