What's up with these tariffs?

I need some handholding regarding the intricacies of the tariffs that Donald Trump is levying on imported products.

Trump and Chinese President Xi Jing Pin rolled back the tariffs the countries have imposed on each other. The news was so dramatic the Dow Jones Industrial Average zoomed high, gaining more than 1,100 points in just one day. Good news, yes? Yes!

But I am left once again to wonder what the hell is Trump doing with this tariff notion? They go up. They come down. China says it will reciprocate, then it backs down. The countries today declared a 90-days pause on tariffs. Then what happens after that?

Trump keeps yammering about "trade deals" he says he is working out with virtually every nation on the planet. That's great, I guess. Except that the president of the United States has no power to enact trade deals all by himself.

Damn! This stuff is confusing the bejeebers out of me.

Trump to this day has yet to explain in any detail what he intends to do with these tariffs. They are a regressive tax that all Americans will pay to cover the cost imposed by our government. How in the world is that supposed to help those of us on fixed incomes? How does it give relief to business owners who have to pay more for the goods they purchase from off-shore vendors?

And so, here again, Trump caves on a policy matter. It's not a bad thing, to be sure, as my retirement account is getting some new life because of this so-called "trade deal." But ... what the hell is going on?

Trump launched this chaotic business chapter all by himself. He never campaigned for office saying he would impose tariffs. He did so anyway.