Trump's tarrifs

[devildavid]

No. It shows the tariffs are working and that China is desperate.


The only reason Trump didn't bring China to their knees during his first term is that he ran out of time. He has four years now.


He didn't do that before.

China is not desperate.

 

[Jason Warfield]

No. It shows the tariffs are working and that China is desperate.


The only reason Trump didn't bring China to their knees during his first term is that he ran out of time. He has four years now.


He didn't do that before.

China is experiencing what everyone else in the world is experiencing, which is difficulties certainly, but much like the rest of the world, they are willing to go to markets that don't include the US...while Americans continue to pay the tariffs for made in China products. I wouldn't call it desperation, I'd call it adjusting.

He never ran out of time because it never ended. That's why I included Biden in that statement because Biden also kept Trump's trade war going.

My bad: he fast tracked his daughter's access to 34 Chinese copyright, five days to a trade war everyone knew was coming. Still not a good look, and if you were an American patriot, you should be upset about that since that violates the spirit of the trade war and what Trump supposedly wanted to accomplish.

 

[multivita-man]

He's a feral dog with a bone. Tariffs will last the full term and cause irreparable damage to America's economy and reputation.

This won't buff out.

I could be wrong because there's just no way to know which way the winds of his ego will blow, but I suspect that he is going to be looking for a face-saving off-ramp fairly soon. If the reports coming from the ports are any indication, this is shaping up to be a very sharp economic downturn. First, it will impact the ports, which seem to be just now waking up to the reality. Next to take the hit are the truckers and railroad freighters.

Modern economies, modern civilization is basically all about moving goods - everything from raw materials to the finished product - from one part of the earth to a different point on the globe. Sometimes a few miles away. Sometimes half-way around the planet. But that's how we live today, by shipping all kinds of stuff around the world. Trump basically did the human equivalent of what COVID did 5 years ago: he completely disrupted the flow of these goods. And guess who the world's largest consumer of global goods is? Try telling me with a straight face that this isn't going to lead to severe economic pain, even if he relents and the pain is short-lived.

This isn't quite on economists' radar just yet because a lot of economists and forecasters tend to be data-dependent in their analysis, but data-dependent means that they're looking backward and basing future forecasts and making decisions now based on what data from a month or a few months ago is showing them. But these tariffs are like a black swan in that they weren't well forecasted -- they should have been but weren't. The impacts are happening right now, not last month or last quarter. These tariffs aren't just tariffs, either; they're almost unprecedented in their scope. They're massive, being imposed against nearly all countries that have serious trade with us, including every nation from supply chain countries to producers to buyers of US goods.

When consumers start having flashbacks to empty shelves, when inflation begins to surge, when job losses accelerate due to collapsed demand many times faster than any of the negligible promises of manufacturing job gains, I think a lot of people who thought they were on the Trump train are going to question that decision. It seems some are already, but I think there is more to come.

 

[Parker_Chess]

He's already back pedaling. No question that once the economic damage settles in he'll be forced to dramatically scale back (he already has).

 

[antiquity]

He's a feral dog with a bone. Tariffs will last the full term and cause irreparable damage to America's economy and reputation.

This won't buff out.

The problem with a lot of people on the left is they don't have a fix to the import deficit or right now a solution to anything except hate Trump. It didn't work when the left went all out on their hate crusade in 2024 and it not working now.

 

[antiquity]

He's already back pedaling. No question that once the economic damage settles in he'll be forced to dramatically scale back (he already has).

I don't think he is scaling back or back peddling at all...he is getting countries to come to the negotiating table, thus his tariffs seem to accomplish what he set them out to do....if the left can't see the big picture I kind of feel sorry for them.

 

[Simon W. Moon]

No way of knowing. It all depends upon China.

Trump has goals though

Read the Full Transcript of Trump’s ‘100 Days’ Interview

President Trump discussed his trade war and the economy, immigration, presidential power, and more

time.com

If we still have high tariffs, whether it's 20% or 30% or 50%, on foreign imports a year from now, will you consider that a victory?​

​

Total victory.​

​

Why so? ​

​

Because the country will be making a fortune. Look, that's what China did to us. They charge us 100%. If you look at India—India charges 100-150%. If you look at Brazil, if you look at many, many countries, they charge—that's how they survive. That's how they got rich. Now, zero would be easy. Oh, zero would be easy, but zero, you wouldn't have any companies coming in. They're coming in because they don't want to pay the tariffs. Remember this, there are no tariffs, if they make their product here. There are no tariffs, if they make their product here. There are no tariffs. This is a tremendous success. You just don't know it yet, but this is a tremendous success what’s happening. We're taking in billions and billions of dollars, money that we never took in before. We're also, very importantly, because of that, because of the money we're taking in, those companies are going to come back and they're going to make their product here. They're going to go back into North Carolina and start making furniture again. They've already started. In Mexico, many car plants that were under construction have stopped. They're all coming into this country. We're gonna, you're gonna see car plants going at a level that you've never seen before.​

 

[Simon W. Moon]

I don't think he is scaling back or back peddling at all...he is getting countries to come to the negotiating table, thus his tariffs seem to accomplish what he set them out to do....if the left can't see the big picture I kind of feel sorry for them.

What indicated that countries were recently previously unwilling to negotiate trade deals with the US?

 

[Mycroft]

Trump has goals though

Read the Full Transcript of Trump’s ‘100 Days’ Interview

President Trump discussed his trade war and the economy, immigration, presidential power, and more

time.com

If we still have high tariffs, whether it's 20% or 30% or 50%, on foreign imports a year from now, will you consider that a victory?​

​

Total victory.​

​

Why so? ​

​

Because the country will be making a fortune. Look, that's what China did to us. They charge us 100%. If you look at India—India charges 100-150%. If you look at Brazil, if you look at many, many countries, they charge—that's how they survive. That's how they got rich. Now, zero would be easy. Oh, zero would be easy, but zero, you wouldn't have any companies coming in. They're coming in because they don't want to pay the tariffs. Remember this, there are no tariffs, if they make their product here. There are no tariffs, if they make their product here. There are no tariffs. This is a tremendous success. You just don't know it yet, but this is a tremendous success what’s happening. We're taking in billions and billions of dollars, money that we never took in before. We're also, very importantly, because of that, because of the money we're taking in, those companies are going to come back and they're going to make their product here. They're going to go back into North Carolina and start making furniture again. They've already started. In Mexico, many car plants that were under construction have stopped. They're all coming into this country. We're gonna, you're gonna see car plants going at a level that you've never seen before.​

He is absolutely correct.

While the tariffs are in place, we make money. When the tariffs end, the US economy surges.

Win-win.

 

[OlNate]

He is absolutely correct.

While the tariffs are in place, we make money. When the tariffs end, the US economy surges.

Win-win.

No, dumb-dumb.

Even if things work out like you think they will from behind rose colored glasses, since the consumer pays the tariffs at best you're rooting for a break even.

Well, break even plus the added bonus that now the entire world thinks you're assholes.

Yeah....tsk... dumb.

 

[noonereal]

How long do you expect Trump's China tarrifs to last?

Might come to his senses by the end of the day. No telling. He is an undisciplined mad man.

 

[noonereal]

He is absolutely correct.

While the tariffs are in place, we make money. When the tariffs end, the US economy surges.

Win-win.

Stupidest post this month.

 

[CaughtInThe]

 

[Allan]

Ninja 8 quart double stack (Cdn):
Amazon.com $189.99
Amazon.ca $249.99

Prices tend to be higher in Canada for most things we buy. The reason is simply economy of scale.

So I don't know that this comparison would work.

 

[CaughtInThe]

Ninja 8 quart double stack (Cdn):
Amazon.com $189.99
Amazon.ca $249.99

Prices tend to be higher in Canada for most things we buy. The reason is simply economy of scale.

So I don't know that this comparison would work.

WTF????

You guys need to tariff the hell out of everybody!! Stat!!

 

[Allan]

WTF????

You guys need to tariff the hell out of everybody!! Stat!!

I buy a lot from Amazon and thus far they've purchased nothing from me.

That seems like a trade deficit to me.

 

[Along Came Jones]

I could be wrong because there's just no way to know which way the winds of his ego will blow, but I suspect that he is going to be looking for a face-saving off-ramp fairly soon. If the reports coming from the ports are any indication, this is shaping up to be a very sharp economic downturn. First, it will impact the ports, which seem to be just now waking up to the reality. Next to take the hit are the truckers and railroad freighters.

Modern economies, modern civilization is basically all about moving goods - everything from raw materials to the finished product - from one part of the earth to a different point on the globe. Sometimes a few miles away. Sometimes half-way around the planet. But that's how we live today, by shipping all kinds of stuff around the world. Trump basically did the human equivalent of what COVID did 5 years ago: he completely disrupted the flow of these goods. And guess who the world's largest consumer of global goods is? Try telling me with a straight face that this isn't going to lead to severe economic pain, even if he relents and the pain is short-lived.

This isn't quite on economists' radar just yet because a lot of economists and forecasters tend to be data-dependent in their analysis, but data-dependent means that they're looking backward and basing future forecasts and making decisions now based on what data from a month or a few months ago is showing them. But these tariffs are like a black swan in that they weren't well forecasted -- they should have been but weren't. The impacts are happening right now, not last month or last quarter. These tariffs aren't just tariffs, either; they're almost unprecedented in their scope. They're massive, being imposed against nearly all countries that have serious trade with us, including every nation from supply chain countries to producers to buyers of US goods.

When consumers start having flashbacks to empty shelves, when inflation begins to surge, when job losses accelerate due to collapsed demand many times faster than any of the negligible promises of manufacturing job gains, I think a lot of people who thought they were on the Trump train are going to question that decision. It seems some are already, but I think there is more to come.

Re: I suspect that he is going to be looking for a face-saving off-ramp fairly soon
This may interest you

When Trump says that he has “spoken to [Xi] many times,” he is either lying or confused about previous conversations. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, meanwhile, has downplayed Trump’s claims while suggesting that the White House does have an appetite for tariff off-ramps.

[. . .]

Chinese officials and economists are privately calling and messaging U.S. contacts at think tanks or those who served in the Biden administration, asking for analysis of the power dynamics inside Trump’s circle. This suggests that Beijing is trying to find a reliable intermediary inside the White House.--China Brief: No Talk, but Some Action on U.S.-China Tariffs, James Palmer, Foreign Policy, 4/29/2025 (Paywall)

 

[BabaVoss]

No. It shows the tariffs are working and that China is desperate.

They seem well positioned to wait us out. They learned from the last time we tried a trade war with them. Trump blinks often and easily.

The only reason Trump didn't bring China to their knees during his first term is that he ran out of time. He has four years now.

He had four years before.

 

[multivita-man]

Re: I suspect that he is going to be looking for a face-saving off-ramp fairly soon
This may interest you

When Trump says that he has “spoken to [Xi] many times,” he is either lying or confused about previous conversations. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, meanwhile, has downplayed Trump’s claims while suggesting that the White House does have an appetite for tariff off-ramps.

[. . .]

Chinese officials and economists are privately calling and messaging U.S. contacts at think tanks or those who served in the Biden administration, asking for analysis of the power dynamics inside Trump’s circle. This suggests that Beijing is trying to find a reliable intermediary inside the White House.--China Brief: No Talk, but Some Action on U.S.-China Tariffs, James Palmer, Foreign Policy, 4/29/2025 (Paywall)

To be clear, China also wants an off-ramp, but it's better for them if it looks like they're not begging for it. They're probably willing to let Trump bluster and bullshit a little bit, as long as they maintain their strength with their trading partners. That's really all China cares about at this point. As long as they defend the economic relationships, supply chains, trade systems, etc. they've built up over the last 20 years, Trump can probably go brag on Fox News all he wants. They have to win this, but not in the same way that Trump did. Trump started it, and Trump has (at least for now) voters to answer to.

 

[devildavid]

The problem with a lot of people on the left is they don't have a fix to the import deficit or right now a solution to anything except hate Trump. It didn't work when the left went all out on their hate crusade in 2024 and it not working now.

The import deficit isn’t a problem, so nothing needs to be solved.

 

[NoMoreDems-Reps]

These Tariff negotiation tactics are designed to get other countries to STOP putting high Tariffs on America, or to be
better nations, if they want access to the US Markets !

Trump does not want "Tariffs" he wants other nations to play fair with America, and to bring back Manufacturing to America !

 

[antiquity]

The import deficit isn’t a problem, so nothing needs to be solved.

You run your household budget that way?

 

[JoeyJoystick]

No way of knowing. It all depends upon China.

Hi Mycroft,

I'm not so sure about that...


Joey

 

[Mycroft]

Hi Mycroft,

I'm not so sure about that...


Joey

Ummm...

Okay.

 

[AConcernedCitizen]

The problem with a lot of people on the left is they don't have a fix to the import deficit

We don't have an import deficit. We have plenty of imports. More imports than exports, in fact.