The Trump tariffs

[zahc]

So what is it? 25% for Canada and my Mexico; 10% for China? Which ass did these numbers come from?

Why 25% for our allies and neighbors on the same hemisphere, and 10% for communist China?

Hard to describe this as anything but disastrous policy. I wish I could say I'm surprised, but I expected a train wreck out of a 2nd Trump term. Let's hope he backpedals quickly and pretends it's him winning somehow.

“What protectionism teaches us, is to do to ourselves in time of peace what enemies seek to do to us in time of war.”

– Henry George, Protection or Free Trade

[Opportunity]

That's strange. On what goods does he propose to introduce such customs duties?

[Ben]

Just like last time, he's threatening big tariffs which will go away or be reduced when they come to an agreement on other things, such as open borders. Mexico and Canada are already, grudgingly, coming to the table.

Same as last time, he's got a table at the swapmeet and asking $100 for a $20 item. They'll haggle and come to an agreed price, and nobody will die, just like last time.

People are totally flipping out about the tariffs, including morons stuffing their garages with canned goods because on 22JAN, a can of chili will cost $75.

There are tariffs going on right this minute under Biden. In fact, Biden increased Trump's first tariffs against China. Nobody died.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/13/politics/china-tariffs-biden-trump/index.html

[Perd Hapley]

Trump's tariffs killed AOC.

[Brad Johnson]

Trump's tariffs killed AOC.

The tariffs didn't hang themselves.

Brad

[MechAg94]

My understanding is that a lot of Chinese goods are being transshipped through Mexico in order to avoid tariffs on China.  Plus I hear most of the fentanyl coming in is made in China.  Will tariffs change that?  I don't know. 

I am not sure where Canada falls into that mix.  Maybe they are doing the same thing.

[Boomhauer]

Mexico is not an ally and is a terrible neighbor. *expletive deleted*ck ‘em.

[MechAg94]

Where Will Trump Impose Tariffs? | Victor Davis Hanson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHwTJ5l46oc

[WLJ]

Didn't he do this last time and in the end get quite a few concessions out of those countries?

[zahc]

Probably the reason for going easy on China is to avoid the type of retaliation that happened last time with soybeans, which we are still paying for.

Watch for exceptions and exemptions for favored industries, as always.

Mexico is already an expert at smuggling. Expect it to increase and include more goods.

[MechAg94]

Part of the reason I try not to get worried about tariffs is that tariffs and import duties is how the Feds are supposed to be funded, not income taxes. 

[Northwoods]

Part of the reason I try not to get worried about tariffs is that tariffs and import duties is how the Feds are supposed to be funded, not income taxes. 

Ding ding ding!

[MechAg94]

Probably the reason for going easy on China is to avoid the type of retaliation that happened last time with soybeans, which we are still paying for.

Watch for exceptions and exemptions for favored industries, as always.

Mexico is already an expert at smuggling. Expect it to increase and include more goods.

Search 100% of the vehicles. 

I saw a video the other day showing border guards peeling the body panels off a pickup truck to uncover people who were hiding inside the truck body. 

[Northwoods]

Search 100% of the vehicles. 

I saw a video the other day showing border guards peeling the body panels off a pickup truck to uncover people who were hiding inside the truck body. 

There is likely technology that can detect that remotely. If we're not already we should be using that.  Scales to weigh vehicles and if it doesn't match within some reasonably expected value based on vehicle weight and occupants you search it.  Things like that would cut down a ton on smuggling in vehicles at controlled border crossings.  Of course they'd then shift to other methods, but the harder it is to pull off the less it will happen.

[HankB]

. . .  Plus I hear most of the fentanyl coming in is made in China . . .

I heard that China was shipping fentanyl feedstock chemicals to Mexico, and it was Mexican labs that were doing the actual fentanyl manufacture with Chinese raw materials.

[Ben]

I heard that China was shipping fentanyl feedstock chemicals to Mexico, and it was Mexican labs that were doing the actual fentanyl manufacture with Chinese raw materials.

Either way, it's all part of China's Unrestricted Warfare playbook.

[HankB]

Either way, it's all part of China's Unrestricted Warfare playbook.

China's Position:
Engineered virus kills a million Yankees - check. Biological warfare. We spread money around, Yankees themselves make excuses for us.
Deadly drugs shipped into Yankeeland kill 75,000+ Yankees a year - check. Chemical warfare. Yankees do nothing.
Two successful WMD attacks, Yankees do nothing. (Work in some language about paper tigers, imperialist lackeys, running dogs, etc.)

[Jim147]

Didn't he do this last time and in the end get quite a few concessions out of those countries?

Yes. Biden even left some of them in place because they worked so well.

[Perd Hapley]

China's Position:
Engineered virus kills a million Yankees - check. Biological warfare. We spread money around, Yankees themselves make excuses for us.
Deadly drugs shipped into Yankeeland kill 75,000+ Yankees a year - check. Chemical warfare. Yankees do nothing.
Two successful WMD attacks, Yankees do nothing. (Work in some language about paper tigers, imperialist lackeys, running dogs, etc.)

You forgot the part where, after they give the world a virus, their presidential candidate gets the office, wreaking further destruction.