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U.S. and China agree to slash reciprocal tariffs in major step toward easing trade war

But if you're just balancing out what could be gains, how are we improving anything? It sounds more like maintaining a status quo.

lol
Increasing economic output means more jobs and more taxpayers.
 
And by far their largest market. Next in line is Vietnam with 4%

Yes, but to put forth the argument that modifying our trade balance with China will prevent the expansion of their navy is quite preposterous.
 

I believe the meme I'm quoting below, might be salient to your larger point:

"They keep us fighting culture wars, to keep us from fighting a class war"

(excellent post btw)
 
It may very well be that American manufacturing is beyond saving but we need to try. As a reminder, China has much grander, more sophisticated, and far more subtle geopolitical designs than the United States. Defining quality of life by the American obsession with instant gratification and cheap goods is going to be the end of us sooner or later.
 
Trump losing and backing down like a bitch once again.
Pathetic old demented idiot.
 
But it's okay to buy more than we sell. We don't need our trade to be balanced. There are plenty of ways to make money, other than by exporting manufactured goods.
If you have a trade imbalance you are, by definition, spending more than you make.

Yes, one of the benefits of a trade deficit is access to affordable goods. This is at the cost of debt accumulation and potential economic vulnerability. We saw that during Covid, which is why there is a global pullback from free trade.
 
We injected $361.1 billion into their economy last year, that accounts for more than 1/3 of their total trade surplus and could cover their entire military budget.

I appreciate your efforts in compiling the numbers. No idea if they're accurate, but I won't hold you to citation.

But your assertion here does not imply we are "building China's Navy".

I do appreciate the perspective, though. Thanks for that.
 

This is what bothers me:

Trump offered few details about that development, but said it was “maybe the most important thing” to come out of the high-level trade talks between the two superpowers in Geneva, Switzerland, over the weekend.
 
Whether and to what degree a tariff is paid by consumers (or even importers) is highly dependent on the price elasticity of the product. If exporters could simply get away with a 30% increase on the price of goods, don't you think they would have done so prior to any tariff?
 

Exactly.

Identify industries of national importance, and subsidize them.
 
I don't think a trade deficit is necessarily a bad thing, at least not for consumers. Imports are a good thing. Consumers WANT to have access to goods from around the world at affordable prices. We don't want or need to produce everything ourselves.

And we especially don't want things we produce inferiorly, at higher costs or poorer quantity.

Nor do we want things produced that harm our environment or our workforce.

There's many good reasons for overseas' consumption.
 
I appreciate your efforts in compiling the numbers. No idea if they're accurate, but I won't hold you to citation.



The budget, which adds up to about $245 billion, was announced at the National People’s Congress, the annual meeting of China’s legislature. The Pentagon and many experts say China’s total spending on defense may be 40% higher or more because of items included under other budgets.

Our "14%" is hugely significant.
 
And we especially don't want things we produce inferiorly, at higher costs or poorer quantity.

Nor do we want things produced that harm our environment or our workforce.

There's many good reasons for overseas' consumption.
There’s only 1 reason and that reason is rank hypocrisy at the expense of economic health and resiliency, national security, and geopolitical strategy.
 
You can have imports while maintaining a healthy trade balance. A trade imbalance simply means you're buying more than you're selling.

What is it you expect to get out of a trade surplus? What accomplishment?

I ask this without animus.
 
Increasing economic output means more jobs and more taxpayers.

If you honestly believe well paid manufacturing jobs that support a middle class are the end destination here.

You are being flat out DELUSIONAL.
 

All they agreed to is to kick the can further down the road again. Neither wants to give in.

And mango MAGAt magnet finds out once again that bullying with no other back up plan doesnt work very well.

Disagree? "Eh?" Speak up! Good, glad you agree.
 
If you have a trade imbalance you are, by definition, spending more than you make.
No, that is not correct (my head shaking so fast I am afraid of hurting myself). If your economy is making money, you will spend it internally and externally.

I hate using simple analogies as they can miss the mark..... but, I make money in my home based business. I go to Safeway to buy groceries, because I can only grow so much basil, and they have things I want and can not make. I have a trade imbalance with Safeway since they not paying me..... my spending money at Safeway says NOTHING about my personal finances.... I am not spending more than I make, I am merely spending more at Safeway than they are paying me. I go home, put my groceries away and continue to make more money that I now spend at Home Depot (I also have a trade deficit with them)....

Yes, one of the benefits of a trade deficit is access to affordable goods. This is at the cost of debt accumulation and potential economic vulnerability. We saw that during Covid, which is why there is a global pullback from free trade.
A trade deficit has nothing to do with debt (see above). Perhaps you should take an intro economics course at a local community college. I don't think you get any of this.... It might help your blood pressure and certainly improve your posts if you had at least a rudimentary understanding of economics...
 
What is it you expect to get out of a trade surplus? What accomplishment?

I ask this without animus.
More than anything, I think this is a reaction to the fact that free trade has led to the US financing the rapid growth of a rival nation. They benefit far more from the relationship than we do.
 
More than anything, I think this is a reaction to the fact that free trade has led to the US financing the rapid growth of a rival nation. They benefit far more from the relationship than we do.
Creating economic dependencies that are impossible to detangle is part of China’s geopolitical strategy. And they’re winning.
 
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