US Tariff War

[gordondaviesmoustache]

Exactly my thoughts.
What's the saying something like never interrupt your enemy when he is doing a good job of defeating himself.

It’s actually insane that the **** thought for a second this was a battle the US could possibly win.

 

[.db.]

If I was China I’d stop exporting everything to the US if only for a month, they’d be on their knees begging for them to start sending goods again, would cripple the states.

Indeed. And don’t agree to any meetings and ignore the phone calls. The USA would buckle long before China does.

 

[mancity2012_eamo]

There has to be people smarter than him in the room, in government, behind him making these suggestions surely.
He must have economists. Not just that Ron Vara guy.

What is the logic of their tariff plan?
Is it a grift?
I’m no economist but I understand enough to know the premise of trade deficits that was presented to the world like some amazing revelation, is totally illogical.
I mean, Ireland has a population circa 5m.
America has over 300m. Of course they are going to buy more from us than we do from them. World trade is supply and demand.
American markets always have demand. It’s a big country.

So what’s the deal? The real deal.
What are the adults in the room actually hoping to achieve?

 

[west didsblue]

So what’s the deal? The real deal.
What are the adults in the room actually hoping to achieve?

Making money on the back of huge movements in the markets both up and down because they know exactly when they’re going to happen. They even boast about it.

It’s a big scam operated by a criminal enterprise that has taken control of the US government.

 

[mancity2012_eamo]

Making money on the back of huge movements in the markets both up and down because they know exactly when they’re going to happen. They even boast about it.

It’s a big scam operated by a criminal enterprise that has taken control of the US government.

So the grift option?

All joking aside though.
The truth of that is too evil to contemplate for most decent people.
It shows to me why America should currently be nowhere near any arbitration or peace deal making.
This government or the power behind it have no consideration for anyone or anything other than their own profit making interests. They don’t care about people, full stop.

 

[Alvin-blue-qhd]

There has to be people smarter than him in the room, in government, behind him making these suggestions surely.
He must have economists. Not just that Ron Vara guy.

What is the logic of their tariff plan?
Is it a grift?
I’m no economist but I understand enough to know the premise of trade deficits that was presented to the world like some amazing revelation, is totally illogical.
I mean, Ireland has a population circa 5m.
America has over 300m. Of course they are going to buy more from us than we do from them. World trade is supply and demand.
American markets always have demand. It’s a big country.

So what’s the deal? The real deal.
What are the adults in the room actually hoping to achieve?

1 To generate some government revenue by imposing tariffs.
2 As a negotiation tactic, to compel all countries to make concessions on U.S. Treasury bonds, thereby alleviating America's debt pressure.
I’ve never read a single page of an economics book in my life, this is all just stuff I’ve picked up from other people.

 

[Alvin-blue-qhd]

Judging by the atmosphere(here in China), decoupling seems inevitable. Compromise appears unlikely, whether driven by sentiment or economic rationale, "fighting to the end" seems the only path forward.

 

[mancity2012_eamo]

1 To generate some government revenue by imposing tariffs.
2 As a negotiation tactic, to compel all countries to make concessions on U.S. Treasury bonds, thereby alleviating America's debt pressure.
I’ve never read a single page of an economics book in my life, this is all just stuff I’ve picked up from other people.

I think with both 1 and 2, the consequences far outweigh the benefits. Certainly with the ham fisted way Trump has gone about things, it seems inevitable that the American economy would suffer. The ordinary business owner and the public consumer are going to pay a heavy price.

 

[halfcenturyup]

I think with both 1 and 2, the consequences far outweigh the benefits. Certainly with the ham fisted way Trump has gone about things, it seems inevitable that the American economy would suffer. The ordinary business owner and the public consumer are going to pay a heavy price.

He will be able to find a way to call it a success even if it's a disaster. And your man in the street won't notice the difference in four years time. Any negative impact will be blamed on something else. It's a pretty clever model when you think about it. Certainly clever enough for a general populace who can't be bothered understanding the nuances, let alone the bloody obvious.

 

[Alvin-blue-qhd]

I think with both 1 and 2, the consequences far outweigh the benefits. Certainly with the ham fisted way Trump has gone about things, it seems inevitable that the American economy would suffer. The ordinary business owner and the public consumer are going to pay a heavy price.

I think his vision of doomsday is an America drowning in huge debt, with its technology and military supremacy falling down. The result will be a burst bubble, an America no longer able to grab limitless wealth though the "dollar hegemony", unable to bully other countries with military might, and not enough domestic industry capacity left.

And I think this explain why he wants Canada, Greenland and Panama. If the falling down is inevitable, before everything happens, he will cash in on America's hegemonic power—by completing territorial expansion.

 

[Vic]

Presumably in the next few days there will be a declaration of victory in the tariff war, some boasts about how much money it’s brought in and a quiet return to the pre April status quo which will allow the markets to recover. Meanwhile the rest of the world have learnt their lesson not to become too dependent on the US.

Trump:

"So, I may not want to go higher or I may not want to even go up to that level. I may want to go to less because you know you want people to buy and, at a certain point, people aren't gonna buy."

That should bring a bit of certainty to the markets.

 

[Vic]

There has to be people smarter than him in the room, in government, behind him making these suggestions surely.
He must have economists. Not just that Ron Vara guy.

What is the logic of their tariff plan?
Is it a grift?
I’m no economist but I understand enough to know the premise of trade deficits that was presented to the world like some amazing revelation, is totally illogical.
I mean, Ireland has a population circa 5m.
America has over 300m. Of course they are going to buy more from us than we do from them. World trade is supply and demand.
American markets always have demand. It’s a big country.

So what’s the deal? The real deal.
What are the adults in the room actually hoping to achieve?

Plenty of economists around but if you choose the only one who says what you want to hear you get Ron Vara just like the Brexiteers got Patrick Minford.

 

[Mr Fraser]

Plenty of economists around but if you choose the only one who says what you want to hear you get Ron Vara just like the Brexiteers got Patrick Minford.

Ron vara does not exist

 

[jimharri]

 

[Vic]

Ron vara does not exist

Navarro then

 

[FogBlueInSanFran]

There has to be people smarter than him in the room, in government, behind him making these suggestions surely.
He must have economists. Not just that Ron Vara guy.

What is the logic of their tariff plan?
Is it a grift?
I’m no economist but I understand enough to know the premise of trade deficits that was presented to the world like some amazing revelation, is totally illogical.
I mean, Ireland has a population circa 5m.
America has over 300m. Of course they are going to buy more from us than we do from them. World trade is supply and demand.
American markets always have demand. It’s a big country.

So what’s the deal? The real deal.
What are the adults in the room actually hoping to achieve?

Why do we keep needing to explain this to you? You’re a smart fellow. It’s honestly getting tiresome. JK.

1. There are no adults. He brought on only sycophants.

2. There is no “deal”. There is no “plan”. There is no “logic.” Obviously you’d assume there would be, right? Wrong. It’s the politics of revenge. Trump believes America is getting “screwed” by duty mismatches. That’s it. That’s all it is.

3. Trump does not give a single shit about the consequences of his actions on anyone else other than himself. Read that seven times. Get it into your skull so I don’t have to keep writing it.

Does this help? I know — it’s unbelievable, right? Well, that’s the way it actually is. That’s who we elected.

 

[Vic]

And if components get tariffed Airbus might rethink its production in the States.

Or go full Trump and build more bits there - and really hurt Boeing

What if Airbus ends up as a virtual monopoly?

 

[halfcenturyup]

Why do we keep needing to explain this to you? You’re a smart fellow. It’s honestly getting tiresome. JK.

1. There are no adults. He brought on only sycophants.

2. There is no “deal”. There is no “plan”. There is no “logic.” Obviously you’d assume there would be, right? Wrong. It’s the politics of revenge. Trump believes America is getting “screwed” by duty mismatches. That’s it. That’s all it is.

3. Trump does not give a single shit about the consequences of his actions on anyone else other than himself. Read that seven times. Get it into your skull so I don’t have to keep writing it.

Does this help? I know — it’s unbelievable, right? Well that the way it actually is. That’s who we elected.

But there must be some serious people behind it all, surely? What's the deal here? Surely Trump can see what a mess he is making?

 

[FogBlueInSanFran]

But there must be some serious people behind it all, surely? What's the deal here? Surely Trump can see what a mess he is making?

What did I JUST FUCKING WRITE?

Read it again. Absorb it. I know it’s difficult. It’s unbelievable. Ludicrous.

It’s also 100 percent correct.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

But there must be some serious people behind it all,

No. There are not.