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VAT is categorically different--it is applied to both domestically and foreign produced goods.

I believe import duties are similar to tariffs, and open to criticism on the same grounds.

In the case of VAT, it applies equally to national and foreign companies.

VAT is what Americans call sales tax (yes I know it's slightly different, but not for the purposes of this discussion). Imported goods into the US are subject to sales tax too, if the sate where the buyer lives has sales tax. Quite amazing that people on HN are swallowing the disinformation on this.

What disinformation are you talking about? Part of VAT is paid during import (rather than after production for domestic goods) and applied to the item. These values could be different whether produced or imported, right?

Import duties aren't imposed by an orange man.

VAT is a sales tax. Tariffs are a sales tax.

But while VAT is an "honest" sales tax (meaning it's transparent to users), tariffs is a "dishonest" sales tax (consumers don't realize they're being taxed).

The problem is that Trump is telling voters that he is _decreasing_ their taxes, whereas he's actually _increasing_ them.