This series of pictures was taken in New York City during April 2025, shortly after the United States announced its plans to impose tariffs on most countries around the world. Wall Street was shaken, and the markets lost trillions of dollars in value during the first week of that month.

While the U.S. announced aggressive tariffs, it frequently delayed their implementation, leading to temporary market recoveries. The tariffs were inconsistent, applied and withdrawn like a game of “Red Light, Green Light”, creating widespread insecurity and instability. The actions of the American administration drew significant international criticism. For example, the policy was nicknamed the TACO (“Trump Always Chickens Out”) trade policy.

The “America First” policy has also faced strong criticism and has been seen as contradictory, for instance as the U.S. President used MAGA (Make America Great Again) memorabilia that were manufactured in China and other Asian countries.

These trade policies remain volatile and unpredictable. This photo series aims to reflect the uncertainty in the stock markets and the vulnerability felt by the American people during a period of great ambiguity.