Retaliatory tariffs

Politics & Elections
741

Well, it won’t be subject to a tariff when we start building smelters again, so we can refine all that copper ore we produce right here in the U.S.A.!

Personally, I think we ought to pass a law that all smelters built must be sited upwind of a Trump-owned resort. Let’s see how far deregulatory fever goes in the Trump administration!

742

Amazon floated that idea a few months ago. Didn’t even implement it. Trump and the GOP were infuriated, and Bezos backed down.

If the onetime world’s richest man can’t stand up to the MAGA anger machine, your local grocery store certainly can’t.

743

No… but we can leave the little stickers on the produce. Like the cheerful ones on the avocados that say “MEXICO!” We didn’t put them there, and we don’t want to mess with the producer/shipper label(s), right? Right?

744

It’s all about Trump looking tough. Getting results is secondary.

745

But he is not looking tough. He is looking petty, capricious, stupid, and wrong. Is nobody telling him this to his face?
No, of course not, stupid question.

746

Emperor Trump is also wearing the most beautiful, exquisitely tailored new clothes that the world has ever seen.

747

To a very (too) large percent of the population what we consider petty, capricious, stupid, and wrong looks though.

748

“If someone can act up all ignorant and abusive and hurt others and no one can physically punish them for it, THAT is being powerful!”

749

A couple of extracts from US based Australian economists on the tariff imbroglio:

Justin Wolfers:
The 11 reasons (to date) of why there is national security issue which justifies 45/47 bypassing Congress to impose tariffs:

  1. Fentanyl from Canada
  2. Illegal immigration from Canada and Mexico
  3. Save manufacturing in the US mid-west
  4. Boost national security
  5. Avoid income tax increases
  6. Resolve the US deficit
  7. Leverage for the 90 deals in 90 days
  8. Defend the position of the USD as reserve currency
  9. Get Canada to drop it’s proposed digital service tax
  10. Get Spain to spend more on defense
  11. Keep Bolsonaro out of jail

Dmitry Grozoubinski
Five contradictory concepts behind on the benefit of US imposing tariffs:

  1. Taxes imposed on arrival are revenue raisers being paid for by the exporters.
  2. Tariffs force re-shoring manufacturing so it’s industry policy, not revenue raising.
  3. Tariffs provide leverage to impose US domestic interests like fentanyl or immigration, not industry policy.
  4. Tariffs are a generational geopolitical mechanism to impoverish China and preventing a military build-up.
  5. Tariffs are negotiation strategy to facilitate, profit from and enjoy a game of extortion, concession and/or humiliation.
750

Nevermind.

751

People still buy the ingredients, they just bitch about the price to the front-line peons.

If one has ever worked in the service industry, they know what a tough job it is. I have, and I am very polite to servers, cashiers, etc. Perhaps if a sign with the email of the company’s CEO were posted at every register, with a note to, “send all complaints to this person”, it might be a good reminder that the service worker doesn’t have a magic button under the counter to change the price.

I have noticed that fresh fruit prices are decent. However, at this time of year we have many local options of peaches, watermelons, etc. Then it struck me that fertilizers and other farming equipment are probably subject to tariffs as well, and that with ICE arresting ag workers, even local products cannot escape the Tariff Terror. I could be wrong on this. I am not an economist, and anyone who knows more is welcome to weigh in.

752

The big fertilizer issue is potash from Canada.

See previous thread: