Tariffs - the most beautiful word in the dictionary

As a source of revenue tariffs seem highly dubious; if it works at supercharging local production and reliance on imports declines significantly the revenues decline. The better it works the less revenue is collected. Whilst the USA has better hypothetical prospects for 100% self reliance than most other nations - geographically large and rich in minerals and other natural resources - international trade opens access to sources that are more abundant and cheaper. Full self sufficiency seems counterproductive - I don't think any modern industrialised economy can be successful that way. You would have to go back to pre-European for actual self sufficiency without international trade. As a way to gain advantage in international trade it comes with unintended consequences. For some particular industries and companies tariffs may well deliver better profitability but I expect it will be at the expense of less well represented economic interests. As an alternative to taxation I think - economists think - it won't work.
 
Tramp is blufing as usual. I recall he promised to build a Wall and make Mexico pay for it. And bring Apple co home from China.
What hapened w that? Lol
Ive heard an auto exec claim that 25% tarifs will stop auto industry in a week. If anything Tarifs will make everything more expensive. I guess its Trampys way to atempt balance the budget on backs of working class.
Canada should respond by importing cars and trucks from China like Mexico does already.
Their cars beat even Tesla in many ways watch Wheelsboy or Inside China auto.
 
Trump might rely on Mexican and Canadian acceptance of terms to withdraw his threat without appearing feeble. His failure to implement the tariffs requires him to provide strong justification to maintain his credibility status. The probabilities look similar to 50:50 according to my estimate since either outcome remains valid.
 
Trump might rely on Mexican and Canadian acceptance of terms to withdraw his threat without appearing feeble. His failure to implement the tariffs requires him to provide strong justification to maintain his credibility status. The probabilities look similar to 50:50 according to my estimate since either outcome remains valid.
50:50 when he has said that there's currently nothing either country can do to avoid the tariffs coming into effect, and Canada have detailed their retaliation already?
Also note that being "valid" doesn't make an outcome equally likely. It's "valid" that I could win the lottery, or that I might not. 50:50 chance, then? ;)
 
50:50 when he has said that there's currently nothing either country can do to avoid the tariffs coming into effect, and Canada have detailed their retaliation already?
Also note that being "valid" doesn't make an outcome equally likely. It's "valid" that I could win the lottery, or that I might not. 50:50 chance, then? ;)
It looks as if you may be talking to a crapbot, cf. the other anodyne, verbose and somewhat servile contributions from this poster.
 
Wow... just seen this:

Very much worth the 5 minutes: a public message by Reagan on the subject of tariffs and free trade.

Probably the most powerful part:

"Yet, today, protectionism is being used by some American politicians as a cheap form of nationalism, a fig leaf for those unwilling to maintain America's military strength, and who lacked the resolve to stand up to real enemies: countries that would use violence against us or our allies. Our peaceful trading partners are not our enemies. They are our allies. We should beware of the demagogues who are ready to declare a trade war against our friends, weakening our economy, our national security, and the entire free world, all while cynically waving the American flag."
- Reagan, 1988

(bolding is mine, obviously ;))
 
Trump has paused Mexico's tariffs for a month, after a deal was struck: Mexico send 10,000 troops to the border, and US limit the guns flowing south. Let's see how this pans out. At least it gives Trump a face-saving way out.
 
Wow... just seen this:

Very much worth the 5 minutes: a public message by Reagan on the subject of tariffs and free trade.

Probably the most powerful part:

"Yet, today, protectionism is being used by some American politicians as a cheap form of nationalism, a fig leaf for those unwilling to maintain America's military strength, and who lacked the resolve to stand up to real enemies: countries that would use violence against us or our allies. Our peaceful trading partners are not our enemies. They are our allies. We should beware of the demagogues who are ready to declare a trade war against our friends, weakening our economy, our national security, and the entire free world, all while cynically waving the American flag."
- Reagan, 1988

(bolding is mine, obviously ;))
How interesting. What was the context, i.e. who was he criticising with these remarks?
 
How interesting. What was the context, i.e. who was he criticising with these remarks?
It was, I believe, shortly before the signing of the FTA between US and Canada (CUSFTA) in 1988.
I think that on both sides there were those who didn't like it, and became a focal point of the Canadian elections around that time.
 
How interesting. What was the context, i.e. who was he criticising with these remarks?
Traditional Republicans and business people, in the 20th century, supported free trade and Democrats and unions supported tariffs to protect American jobs.

In the 19th century it was the reverse. In the 21st century it's just a Trump quirk.
 
Wow... just seen this:

Very much worth the 5 minutes: a public message by Reagan on the subject of tariffs and free trade.

Probably the most powerful part:

"Yet, today, protectionism is being used by some American politicians as a cheap form of nationalism, a fig leaf for those unwilling to maintain America's military strength, and who lacked the resolve to stand up to real enemies: countries that would use violence against us or our allies. Our peaceful trading partners are not our enemies. They are our allies. We should beware of the demagogues who are ready to declare a trade war against our friends, weakening our economy, our national security, and the entire free world, all while cynically waving the American flag."
- Reagan, 1988

(bolding is mine, obviously ;))
That was clearly Reagan's evil globalist doppleganger speaking.
 
So he was effective, so far.

Granting that any promised border patrolling on the part of Mexico and Canada doesn't turn out to be an empty facade that whooshes over the administration's head for the next four years.[1] Do to the 30 days, though, I assume some degree of substance has to be demonstrated to qualify.

- - - footnote - - -

[1] Peter Zeihan: "The phase one trade deal [...] seven, six years ago, committed the Chinese to buying X number of dollars of various [US] products... But by the end of the [first] Trump term, China hadn’t met any of the criteria at all. In fact, they never intended to."
_
 
So he was effective, so far.
Yes, effective in pissing off Americas best trading partners and closest allies. You see, that's the point, Trump goes after easy targets; Canada, Mexico, Greenland, Panama, just like a cowardly bully.
 
Yes, effective in pissing off Americas best trading partners and closest allies. You see, that's the point, Trump goes after easy targets; Canada, Mexico, Greenland, Panama, just like a cowardly bully.
That's some in depth analysis.
 
I can't tell, but it sure looks like the president of mexico and the pm of canada capitulated to Trump.
Or Trump has. He’s trying to style it out with a Schrödinger Gambit: I really believe a trade deficit is an unfair billions of dollars subsidy……but if business and the markets tell me I’m a jerk I can say it was just a ruse and was all about fentanyl.

Fucking ballocks, the lot of it.
 
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