Author Topic: Tariffs  (Read 7838 times)

MikeB

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Tariffs
« on: March 03, 2018, 09:02:24 PM »
As a libertarian I’m more than less against trade tariffs. However in the real world there are taxes and even direct tariffs if not government subsidies that unfairly affect trade. I’m not quite sure yet how I feel about Trumps proposed Tariffs. I suspect that his threat will actually make some of these countries reduce taxes on imports of US goods that they like to say aren’t tariffs but really are. They might also backfire and start trade wars. Just a simplistic example look at the price of a pair of Levi’s in most countries, it’s obvious that taxes inflate those prices in most countries. I mostly think of this as the EU seems to be threatening while we know the EU has long had protectionist taxes against US products. Thoughts?

French G.

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Re: Tariffs
« Reply #1 on: March 03, 2018, 10:04:00 PM »
It is getting press of Cheeto idiot starts trade war rather than stating the facts that we are doing a mild version of what's been done to us for years. Aluminum is a hugely manipulated market, I read some stuff years ago about China and Alcoa basically laundering aluminum through Mexico to hide its origin. In general we have been getting rolled on trade for years and if an imperfect messenger there ever was, at least he speaks up.

The other issue to me is national security. Call it a tariff, subsidy, whatever, if you want a country that can go to war, might ought to set aside any Lily white libertarian ideals and make sure you have a domestic steel industry.
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MechAg94

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Re: Tariffs
« Reply #2 on: March 03, 2018, 10:06:37 PM »
I am also not generally for protectionists policies or subsidies.  I generally don't want to just raise tariffs, but I realize there is a lot of history to this and other costs and policies stacked up with the tariffs that I don't know about.  I suspect a large number of the talking heads on this subject don't know about that stuff either.  

And I think French is right on his points.  It is by far not a simple issue.
“It is much more important to kill bad bills than to pass good ones.”  ― Calvin Coolidge

Firethorn

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Re: Tariffs
« Reply #3 on: March 04, 2018, 05:29:27 AM »
One thing I think I've noticed is that Trump tends to make an outrageous statement not as something he's actually going to do, but more as an opening bargaining position.  He's not universal in this, by any means, but I can see him going "25%" completely expecting to be "bargained" down to 10%, or otherwise "talked out of it" with some sweetening by reductions of trade tariffs elsewhere.

MechAg94

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Re: Tariffs
« Reply #4 on: March 04, 2018, 01:37:50 PM »
He also tends to do it to change or redirect the media discussion.  Another one is to force the hands of his opponents which he did late last year talking about offering the Dems a lot of what they wanted for immigration only to see them back off to a more liberal position.  I have a feeling his recent gun comments were along those lines because I think Dems in Congress have no intention of actually passing anything. 
“It is much more important to kill bad bills than to pass good ones.”  ― Calvin Coolidge

p12

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Re: Tariffs
« Reply #5 on: March 05, 2018, 07:28:09 AM »
Heard on Fox & Friends this morning. Basically the tariffs are a bargaining chip for a renegotiated NAFTA.


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