This is what i was thinking of yesterday after folks on HN pointed me to the "official formula" from the govt. I could not understand why the "elasticity" parameters were chosen in such a manner as to cancel out. Now it seems it was chosen deliberately to give "room for maneuvering" when the concerned countries inevitably come to the negotiating table; never mind that the formula itself is not economically sound. It also explains why Trump and his Team keep saying the "economic hardships" will be short-term and will get better soon.