Tarrifs (1 Viewer)

[boerboy]

Pretty good article. It is opinion in a lot by drawing conclusions, but some of them are probably true. The one thing I wonder is who will be the White Knight country that brokers a deal between the US and China. Someone (one of our allies) will feel enough pain, maybe all of them and step in. I don't know when, but I do think it is a probability.

For me, going after China is the right thing to do, but I disagree vehemently with the seemingly shotgun approach and including all Countries that he could think of. We would have been better served by a coalition against China and maybe we will get there. Painful wait.

TD

The only approach that seems to work with hardline regimes like commies is a firm, direct one—what some might call a “shotgun approach.” Trust me, I know from experience. A coalition might be ideal in theory, but who would it include? Countries that have taken advantage of our economy for the last 50 years?

In regards to China. They've stolen both American and European technologies for years. Their high-speed rail system? Taken from the French. Their top-performing car engines? Ripped off from BMW. Politicians have talked for decades about taking action, yet have done virtually nothing. Then, when someone finally steps up and tries to do something—imperfect as it may be—they get dragged through the mud instead of being supported for putting the country first.


To me, that's the definition of hypocrisy—with a capital H.

 

[paxtoysoldier]

Thanks to all for the intelligent and relevant conversation.
Best of Luck to Julie and George and Matt and every other US retailer.
Best Wishes to the manufacturers.
From the point of view of 2 old collectors (both of whom have had recent financial setbacks) and our room is full to shelf-breaking-point; who also have serious things for which we need to use our bucks: a break may be called for.
But how long can our retailer friends withstand this?
Again, we are with you US dealers but, sadly, in no position to help.
Long Live Our Hobby! - The Irish have seen worse times... They are over, right?
Paddy for Pats

 

[Warrior]

The only approach that seems to work with hardline regimes like commies is a firm, direct one—what some might call a “shotgun approach.” Trust me, I know from experience. A coalition might be ideal in theory, but who would it include? Countries that have taken advantage of our economy for the last 50 years?

In regards to China. They've stolen both American and European technologies for years. Their high-speed rail system? Taken from the French. Their top-performing car engines? Ripped off from BMW. Politicians have talked for decades about taking action, yet have done virtually nothing. Then, when someone finally steps up and tries to do something—imperfect as it may be—they get dragged through the mud instead of being supported for putting the country first.


To me, that's the definition of hypocrisy—with a capital H.

The "imperfect as it may be" is where the whole things comes off the rails.

He wants to do something to the Chinese for rolling out COVID and killing his chance to get reelected, then fine (seems like his entire agenda since he was sworn in is the "Trump Revenge Tour"), the way he's going about it is economic suicide.

Have there been any negotiations with the Chinese since he instituted a 10%, then 20%, then 54% (and how he got to that/how he figured the math on that one is a real doozie) and now a 104% tariff?

Anything?

Word one?

Bueller?

No, there has not.

If both countries went to a 0% tariff tomorrow, the damage he's done will take a **** ton of tomorrow's to correct.

If he somehow "wins", it will be a hollow victory for a lot of people and small businesses that have already taken a beating.

7 trillion dollars in tariffs collected in March.

April will be a real hoot.

 

[Alexander the Great]

But he will give us all $5K George from the savings he is finding lol lol

 

[Deitz]

A 90 day pause for the 75 countries willing to talk to the USA about tariffs and trade barriers. Let's see if more countries will come to the table to talk.

 

[Horus]

Just read tariffs with China gas now jumped to 125% !
Not even manufacturers Temporarily reducing prices to help with tariffs would help now.

 

[boerboy]

I completely respect your point of view. That said, doing nothing—like many past administrations—has led to trillions wasted on ineffective programs, unchecked illegal immigration, and silence as our debt spirals. On top of that, we've allowed other countries to rip us off economically for decades without serious response. And you can’t really blame them for getting upset when we finally pushed them out of the comfort zone they had taken for granted.


Dealing with China, in particular, has been like being assaulted and then politely asking the attacker to wear protection—it’s absurd and humiliating. Yet that’s how weak and passive our policies have been. Hoping the consequences won’t hit during our lifetime is not a plan—it’s denial.


And all the while, we comply quietly as this great country moves closer to the point where it may no longer even be able to service the interest on its debts. So let people actually do something—at least—and see what happens, instead of endlessly speculating about what might happen.


Meanwhile, we continue playing with toy soldiers at discounted prices, as if everything is fine.

 

[Warrior]

I completely respect your point of view. That said, doing nothing—like many past administrations—has led to trillions wasted on ineffective programs, unchecked illegal immigration, and silence as our debt spirals. On top of that, we've allowed other countries to rip us off economically for decades without serious response. And you can’t really blame them for getting upset when we finally pushed them out of the comfort zone they had taken for granted.


Dealing with China, in particular, has been like being assaulted and then politely asking the attacker to wear protection—it’s absurd and humiliating. Yet that’s how weak and passive our policies have been. Hoping the consequences won’t hit during our lifetime is not a plan—it’s denial.


And all the while, we comply quietly as this great country moves closer to the point where it may no longer even be able to service the interest on its debts. So let people actually do something—at least—and see what happens, instead of endlessly speculating about what might happen.


Meanwhile, we continue playing with toy soldiers at discounted prices, as if everything is fine.

I respect yours as well and your points are solid; we got to this due to past administrations letting China bend us over and turn a blind eye to it, no doubt recently a certain someone was in their back pocket/getting funds shuffled around to off shore accounts or "family members" for services rendered.

My issue is this 104% tariff.........oh sorry, 125% tariff...........tell you what, just flip all the cards and go right to 1000% already................is absurd, prices for just about everything we've grown dependent on due to corporate greed "Let's move production out of the US and pay peanuts for slave labor to make it and still charge the same price, we'll make a fortune!!" will skyrocket and even IF a deal is worked out, they will not come down.

Think back to when gas was 6.00 a gallon and prices skyrocketed due to increased costs to get those goods to market/the carriers like UPs/FED EX/DHL jacked up their rates due to high fuel costs..................and guess what, when the cost of fuel leveled off, the prices stayed high/the carriers kept jamming me and everyone else who brings goods in from overseas/the retailers and grocery stores did not cut costs.

This has gone well passed absurd, it's on another level now.

 

[Barkmann]

But he will give us all $5K George from the savings he is finding lol lol

Only if you are already a billion or millionaire

 

[boerboy]

I respect yours as well and your points are solid; we got to this due to past administrations letting China bend us over and turn a blind eye to it, no doubt recently a certain someone was in their back pocket/getting funds shuffled around to off shore accounts or "family members" for services rendered.

My issue is this 104% tariff.........oh sorry, 125% tariff...........tell you what, just flip all the cards and go right to 1000% already................is absurd, prices for just about everything we've grown dependent on due to corporate greed "Let's move production out of the US and pay peanuts for slave labor to make it and still charge the same price, we'll make a fortune!!" will skyrocket and even IF a deal is worked out, they will not come down.

Think back to when gas was 6.00 a gallon and prices skyrocketed due to increased costs to get those goods to market/the carriers like UPs/FED EX/DHL jacked up their rates due to high fuel costs..................and guess what, when the cost of fuel leveled off, the prices stayed high/the carriers kept jamming me and everyone else who brings goods in from overseas/the retailers and grocery stores did not cut costs.

This has gone well passed absurd, it's on another level now.

Your point is well taken. Everyone—including the markets—is understandably concerned that tariffs may lead to higher living costs, at least in the short term. However, as one chess grandmaster once said, "the threat is more powerful than its execution." Tariffs are increasingly viewed as a valuable tool for economic leverage.


In my opinion, China still isn't in a position to play a game of chicken with the U.S.—but if we don't act decisively now, it could be too late in the near future. A 104% tariff may seem like a bold number, but tomorrow it could be 500%. They're playing political poker, and China can only bluff in an attempt to save face for the future.


Thank you again for sharing your thoughts—it's always helpful to hear different perspectives. I just wish both parties in Congress could have such peaceful and thoughtful discussions.

 

[tdubel]

I respect yours as well and your points are solid; we got to this due to past administrations letting China bend us over and turn a blind eye to it, no doubt recently a certain someone was in their back pocket/getting funds shuffled around to off shore accounts or "family members" for services rendered.

My issue is this 104% tariff.........oh sorry, 125% tariff...........tell you what, just flip all the cards and go right to 1000% already................is absurd, prices for just about everything we've grown dependent on due to corporate greed "Let's move production out of the US and pay peanuts for slave labor to make it and still charge the same price, we'll make a fortune!!" will skyrocket and even IF a deal is worked out, they will not come down.

Think back to when gas was 6.00 a gallon and prices skyrocketed due to increased costs to get those goods to market/the carriers like UPs/FED EX/DHL jacked up their rates due to high fuel costs..................and guess what, when the cost of fuel leveled off, the prices stayed high/the carriers kept jamming me and everyone else who brings goods in from overseas/the retailers and grocery stores did not cut costs.

This has gone well passed absurd, it's on another level now.

to answer an earlier question, China didn't return any outreach or calls from what I read. How true that is of course is the press source, but from what I read, the US did try. How hard is anyone's guess.
Tom

 

[Warrior]

Your point is well taken. Everyone—including the markets—is understandably concerned that tariffs may lead to higher living costs, at least in the short term. However, as one chess grandmaster once said, "the threat is more powerful than its execution." Tariffs are increasingly viewed as a valuable tool for economic leverage.


In my opinion, China still isn't in a position to play a game of chicken with the U.S.—but if we don't act decisively now, it could be too late in the near future. A 104% tariff may seem like a bold number, but tomorrow it could be 500%. They're playing political poker, and China can only bluff in an attempt to save face for the future.


Thank you again for sharing your thoughts—it's always helpful to hear different perspectives. I just wish both parties in Congress could have such peaceful and thoughtful discussions.

This is actually the best I've felt about this tariff war as a dealer/importer since it started at 10% in February; 125% is such an absurd number that this cannot continue for much longer, Trump is just straight out fudgeing with China right now, no way can he be serious.

Like I said, put it up to 1000% and get it over with.

He should have kept it at 10% for two months, then bump it to 20% for a few more months, then go higher as time went on to tighten the screws, going from 10% in February to 125% 10 weeks later is really poor form and cannot be taken seriously by anyone.

 

[Combat]

The line between genius and idiocy is a narrow one. It's hard to say which side the tariffs fall on. Everyone views it through the prism of their own desired political narrative. The Trump haters seem to want it to fail despite the consequences to America. The Trump supporters will not acknowledge any mistakes. And so it goes. I'm hopeful the market recovers, maybe the playing field evens up with most countries, and perhaps some progress can be made with China. I do think it is surprising to see the level of animosity displayed by Canada for the US. A country that pays indirectly for their national security. A bit eye opening that they would side with a country like China against the US.

 

[jazzeum]

The line between genius and idiocy is a narrow one. It's hard to say which side the tariffs fall on. Everyone views it through the prism of their own desired political narrative. The Trump haters seem to want it to fail despite the consequences to America. The Trump supporters will not acknowledge any mistakes. And so it goes. I'm hopeful the market recovers, maybe the playing field evens up with most countries, and perhaps some progress can be made with China. I do think it is surprising to see the level of animosity displayed by Canada for the US. A country that pays indirectly for their national security. A bit eye opening that they would side with a country like China against the US.

After what he has said about Canada and the tariffs he has threatened to impose you can hardly blame them.

 

[Warrior]

The line between genius and idiocy is a narrow one. It's hard to say which side the tariffs fall on. Everyone views it through the prism of their own desired political narrative. The Trump haters seem to want it to fail despite the consequences to America. The Trump supporters will not acknowledge any mistakes. And so it goes. I'm hopeful the market recovers, maybe the playing field evens up with most countries, and perhaps some progress can be made with China. I do think it is surprising to see the level of animosity displayed by Canada for the US. A country that pays indirectly for their national security. A bit eye opening that they would side with a country like China against the US.

This from a thinks he's investor savvy/plays the markets/thinks he's a high roller "associate" of mine, the next honest day he works will be the first, he's always working some angle/deal/shell game/con; "This has got to be the biggest market manipulation in the history of the world. Announce tariffs, which then wreck the markets, so it's time to buy low, then pause tariffs, the markets rebound and it's time to sell high."

 

[tdubel]

This from a thinks he's investor savvy/plays the markets/thinks he's a high roller "associate" of mine, the next honest day he works will be the first, he's always working some angle/deal/shell game/con; "This has got to be the biggest market manipulation in the history of the world. Announce tariffs, which then wreck the markets, so it's time to buy low, then pause tariffs, the markets rebound and it's time to sell high."

Talking with an investment bank today for a work project, one of the persons is a personal friend, so we spent a few minutes on the phone afterward. His take and it is more his business than mine is that Traders made out huge last 3 weeks. Lots of money made on the short. Same time, lots made over the last 7 wild days. As I said before, with volatility comes tremendous wealth, just not necessarily from where you think. I know that all of my finance friends called the last month the greatest opportunity they had seen in the last 12 months. Yes they make money when the market steadily goes up, but not like they make in volatility. IT is legalized gambling.

I don't begrudge any traders, if you have the stones to make a living like that, more power to you.

TD

 

[tdubel]

After what he has said about Canada and the tariffs he has threatened to impose you can hardly blame them.

I don't know, I don't like the kids in a sandbox routine. When Trump does it, I cringe, so when other leaders do it, they look as muddy as the mudslinger. Never a good look and never gets any situation going in the right direction. Me personally, I would have called Trump on the private line (you know they all have the number) and indicated my displeasure with his public comments. More likely than not, would be a good outcome. It seems like whenever Trump does talk to other world leaders privately, we get a good outcome. The publicness is where it constantly goes off the rails.
Tom

 

[tdubel]

The "imperfect as it may be" is where the whole things comes off the rails.

He wants to do something to the Chinese for rolling out COVID and killing his chance to get reelected, then fine (seems like his entire agenda since he was sworn in is the "Trump Revenge Tour"), the way he's going about it is economic suicide.

Have there been any negotiations with the Chinese since he instituted a 10%, then 20%, then 54% (and how he got to that/how he figured the math on that one is a real doozie) and now a 104% tariff?

Anything?

Word one?

Bueller?

No, there has not.

If both countries went to a 0% tariff tomorrow, the damage he's done will take a **** ton of tomorrow's to correct.

If he somehow "wins", it will be a hollow victory for a lot of people and small businesses that have already taken a beating.

7 trillion dollars in tariffs collected in March.

April will be a real hoot.

To put all monies in perspective, take a guess at what our national debt interest alone is on a monthly basis................. $1 Trillion. Take another wild guess at who receives the majority of that real money..........................China.

Again, who knows where this goes and how long, but it is not sustainable either way if stays on current paths.
Tom

 

[Warrior]

To put all monies in perspective, take a guess at what our national debt interest alone is on a monthly basis................. $1 Trillion. Take another wild guess at who receives the majority of that real money..........................China.

Again, who knows where this goes and how long, but it is not sustainable either way if stays on current paths.
Tom

I think it's great Trump recognized his $6,400,000,000,000.00 mistake and then sprang into action to fix it.

What a prince of a guy.

 

[BHogan]

After what he has said about Canada and the tariffs he has threatened to impose you can hardly blame them.

I don't understand the comments some are sharing about the Americans paying for our security. All I can say is that I like Yanks, but in no universe would I ever want to be one. The animosity is palpable. I don't think a single sports match starts without the American anthem being booed by the audience.

Brendan