Trump Weighed Even Bigger Tariffs in Push by China Hawk Navarro

President Donald Trump’s steeper-than-expected tariffs have traumatized financial markets and triggered recession fears all over the world.

His White House weighed the option of going even bigger.

Trade adviser Peter Navarro urged the president to implement either an across-the-board 25% tax on imports or a so-called “reciprocal” formula based on trade deficits, people familiar with the matter said. The latter was incorporated in Trump’s proposal announced last week, on top of a baseline duty of 10%.

The upshot: After weeks of deliberations inside the Trump team over his flagship policy, the plan that ultimately emerged hewed closest to the ...