• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

Do you support the new steel and aluminum tariffs?

Do you support the proposed tariffs

  • Total voters
    78
I like the idea of reciprocity in trade policies with goal of pure free trade, zero tariffs and open markets. If China wants to put a 25% tariff on U.S. cars and require 50% Chinese ownership of any U.S. factory located in China, match them on their exports and factories located in the U.S. I think it would be smart though to add a level of leverage first by having such a great tax policy that manufacturers in China exporting to the U.S. will joyfully re-locate to the U.S. I think if the below tax policy was in place and we had a policy of matching China's policies to us, China would drastically lower the barriers to their home market in order to keep some of the companies from leaving and access to the U.S. market. Tax plan:


No deductions, no joint filing. These are real rates on net income. Capital gains taxed at rates like regular income.

0% corporate rate
eliminate cost of employee health insurance for companies by going to single payer catastrophic/cash and charity on minor
0%-on first net income of $0-$31,500($31,500 equates to the salary of $15/hr 40/hr/wk, which would be the minimum wage under this plan)
10%-on any additional net income between $31,500-$100,000
20%-on any additional net income between $100,000-1mil
30%-on any additional net income above 1 mil

carbon tax
junk food tax
luxury item tax

smart de-regulation-means eliminating poorly designed and outdated regulations that add needless time and cost, and keeping or adding needed well designed regulations.
 
From everything I've read about these, they will in no way help the US. The whole point of trade tariffs was meant to curb China's economic expansion. These do very little to affect that at all, but particularly in a positive for us way. In fact, due to the fact that they negatively affect many of our allies, including Canada, Mexico and European countries that we are trying to get to implement economic provisions against China as well, this could severely harm our efforts with those nations. And if all ally nations are put on the "exceptions" list, then it becomes completely useless, not even a prick of the skin to China in the grand scheme of economic sanctions.
 
Mycroft said:
Well, it looks like increasing US steel production isn't going to be THAT hard. The tariffs haven't even been enacted and action is already being taken.

U.S. Steel follows tariff promise with plans to restart Illinois furnace | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Five hundred workers...and their families...are going to be very happy.
Click to expand...

Okay, but the biggest exporter of steel to the US is Canada, not China. Canada got an exemption for these tariffs for the moment, but you seriously think the Canadian steel industry is putting masses of Americans out of work?
 
Yes_Minister said:
Okay, but the biggest exporter of steel to the US is Canada, not China. Canada got an exemption for these tariffs for the moment, but you seriously think the Canadian steel industry is putting masses of Americans out of work?
Click to expand...

That exemption that Canada...and Mexico...got has strings attached. We'll see how that goes.

If Canada ends its transshipment of steel from China to the US, everything will be hunky-dory. If Canada works with the US in regard to NAFTA, everything will be hunky-dory. If they don't...that exemption can be removed.
 
Mycroft said:
That exemption that Canada...and Mexico...got has strings attached. We'll see how that goes.

If Canada ends its transshipment of steel from China to the US, everything will be hunky-dory. If Canada works with the US in regard to NAFTA, everything will be hunky-dory. If they don't...that exemption can be removed.
Click to expand...

And Canada will start doing all sorts of things that the US won't like, appreciate as well, should that happen. The US does not have a lot of room to negotiate on these things. Basically he is hoping he can bluff his way through this.
 
I am not an economist. That being said, the initial announcement seemed reactionary and when the official policy was rolled out a week later, I really don't remember what nations were singled out for the tariffs. There was mention of two exemptions, Mexico and Canada, and other than that, I can't remember who was singled out to pay the tariffs.......
 
Mycroft said:
That exemption that Canada...and Mexico...got has strings attached. We'll see how that goes.

If Canada ends its transshipment of steel from China to the US, everything will be hunky-dory. If Canada works with the US in regard to NAFTA, everything will be hunky-dory. If they don't...that exemption can be removed.
Click to expand...

Canada doesn't 'transship' steel.
But it doesn't matter. Canada has made it clear that NAFTA negotiations and steel tariffs are two separate issues and will remain separate.
 
roguenuke said:
And Canada will start doing all sorts of things that the US won't like, appreciate as well, should that happen. The US does not have a lot of room to negotiate on these things. Basically he is hoping he can bluff his way through this.
Click to expand...

shrug...

If you say so. We'll see.
 
Mycroft said:
That exemption that Canada...and Mexico...got has strings attached. We'll see how that goes.

If Canada ends its transshipment of steel from China to the US, everything will be hunky-dory. If Canada works with the US in regard to NAFTA, everything will be hunky-dory. If they don't...that exemption can be removed.
Click to expand...

Do you have any proof that Canada dumps massive amounts of Chinese steel on the US market? Because if you don't have proof, I think that claim is BS.
 
Anagram said:
Do you support Trump's new plan for a 25% tariff on imported steel and 10% on imported aluminum worldwide?
Click to expand...

I think it was a smidgen too broad. I wouldn't have put it on countries in the EU or similar such nations where they have comparable wages, regulations, and such so we are already on fairly equal footing with them (unless I'm missing them gaming the system in other ways). Putting it on imports from countries that a giant piles of dung, like China, who pay ****, do **** work, steal our technology, and pollute like crazy should've been done a long time ago.
 
I'm starting to wonder if this isn't an effort to make up for lost revenue from the tax cuts. :shrug:
 
Anagram said:
Do you support Trump's new plan for a 25% tariff on imported steel and 10% on imported aluminum worldwide?

Now we know that there will probably be no exceptions for any countries, including Canada who is our largest importer of steel, so I think we have enough information to fairly judge the policy at this point. In 2017 about 70% of our steel consumed was domestically produced, with 30% imported. Many countries have already threatened at least some retaliation.

Sources: https://www.trade.gov/steel/countries/pdfs/imports-us.pdf
Trump trade adviser says no exceptions for allies on new aluminum and steel tariffs - Chicago Tribune

To give an idea of the positions of various elected officials, I quickly looked at each senator who had commented on it.

R Negative- 20


D/I Negative-7


D Positive- 5


Many unions like the AFL-CIO have also been positive on the imposition of the tariff.
Click to expand...

Tariffs are like meds whose side effects are at least as bad as the cure, and often worse. Unions support tariffs close to the jobs they want to protect, and are not looking at it in the broader sense, what a president must do. Though I'm pro union, I'm against tariffs in principle, though I might support something specific in specific circumstances that has a specific & targeted objective and I'd want to see a detailed analysis of a specific proposal, an analysis from experts on both sides of the political debate.
 
Easy “no” vote... these tariffs are begging for a response and it may come from China, the EU, Canada, and plenty of other nations we trade with impacting what is left that we do export.

Worse, all of those steel jobs are not going to magically come back.
 
Clinton, Bush #2 & Obama just allowed the trade deficit to enlarge & enlarge & enlarge. Keeping on doing what the USA was doing
hasn't worked. Glad he's willing to try something else, maybe it will minimize the wealth that's leaving America or maybe it will backfire
but it's with a try.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom