The first-quarter Duke University/CFO Global Business Outlook survey found that among CFOs whose companies are headquartered in the U.S., more than half are not in favor of some of the president’s proposed reforms.
Just over half, 55%, say that a proposed 20% border tax — a value-added tax levied on imported goods — would be bad for business. Nearly 60% of respondents say that a substantial tariff on Chinese and Mexican goods would be bad for the economy, with almost the same number voicing opinions against the elimination of the tax deduction for corporate debt (see “Pushing Back,” above).
In the above video, John Graham, finance professor at Duke’s Fuqua School of Business, discusses perspectives on trade among survey respondents from the U.S., Europe, Latin America, and Asia.