A (very) unpopular opinion: Trump's approach to look at the trade imbalance per country makes good sense for his stated goals. Going sector-by-sector and tit for tat wouldn't have worked, as countries would have low tariffs where they have a manufacturing advantage and high tariffs where the US does. Moreover, on a case-by-case basis, it's a bigger deal for them, so they can put more resources into negotiations and games around it. Trump basically says "I don't care how, but buy as much as you sell". This may boost American manufacturing in areas where the US has competitive advantages.