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Here's the brilliant formula they used to determine those tariffs by the way: https://xcancel.com/orthonormalist/status/190754526581875103... https://xcancel.com/corsaren/status/1907554824180105343 It's trade deficit divided by total exports divided by 2
Besides, isn't the "Use tax" most(?) American states have more or less equivalent in function?
Genuine questions: why are they calling it “reciprocal”? Is the US just matching the tariffs set by the other countries? Also, this announcement has wiped out any plans of buying tech products this year, plus a holiday to the US and Canada later in the year. Good thing too, as the entire globe is probably staring down the barrel of a recession.
So for example Indonesia and the US traded $28 billion. The US has a 17.9 billion trade deficit with Indonesia. 17.9/28 =0.639, or 64%, which is assumed to be all caused by tariffs. So they divide by two and impose 32%.
Anyway no the US isn't matching tariffs they're dramatically exceeding them.
Can someone explain if there's any logic at all to counting a countrys VAT as part of its tariffs? In my home country VAT is ultimately charged the end-customer and this happens regardless of the origin of the goods. How can this be a seen as a tariff? Besides, isn't the "Use tax" most(?) American states have more or less equivalent in function?
https://taxpolicy.org.uk/2025/04/02/no-vat-isnt-a-tariff-but...
https://iccwbo.org/news-publications/news/are-value-added-ta...
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/31/as-trump-reciprocal-tariffs-...
etc, etc.
The only reasonable reply as a consumer and/or cloud-service purchaser: Economic wide-scale boycott of the US.
The US doesn't have the people to do the actual manufacturing. I saw a video recently explaining how sectors like the military, construction and the automotive industry each have 100K+ positions that they are unable to fill. A return to manufacturing adds to that shortage.
Apparently there's some 7 million young men of working age that are...missing in action. Self-isolated, gaming, addictions.
In construction, for every 5 people that retire, only 2 enter. And it's been like that for over 10 years. The people aren't there nor is the motivation.
I'm sure you'll have Apple investing in a mega plant where 50 educated people push some buttons though.
From what I understand, de minimis exemption has also been removed. That is a huge, huge deal. It effectively means that all goods imported from China will be slapped with a 30% import tax, as soon as said goods arrive the US border / customs. Usually what happens then, is that the courier will pay that tax, and then bill the recipient later on - as well as charge some fee/fees for the work done. This is why in some…
Can someone explain if there's any logic at all to counting a countrys VAT as part of its tariffs? In my home country VAT is ultimately charged the end-customer and this happens regardless of the origin of the goods. How can this be a seen as a tariff? Besides, isn't the "Use tax" most(?) American states have more or less equivalent in function?
As I know, US states few decades spent on talks about implement VAT, but have not achieved agreement yet.
For equivalent, most US states have trade tax, could be returned with set of rules. So, on some abstract level it could be considered as far equivalent of VAT, which is also could be returned with set of rules.
I don’t buy the blanket statement that the consumer always pays the tariff. It depends on what alternative companies have. If a company can purchase the same clothing from Chinese, Vietnamese, or Mexican vendors, a tax on China only could make the Chinese vendors lower the price or risk losing the business. However, a blanket tax on every country, regardless of available alternatives, would leave businesses with fewe…
The payer of a tariff is decided by the relative elasticity of supply and elasticity of demand.
Sometimes the seller will eat it. Sometimes they buyer will eat it. Sometimes the product wont get made or sold.
I'm taking bets, do you think the tariffs will: 1. be rescinded/paused in [0,2) days; 2. be rescinded/paused in [2,4) days; 3. be rescinded/paused in [4,7] days; 4. not be rescinded/paused.
This won't bring home manufacturing but let's say that it will... The US doesn't have the people to do the actual manufacturing. I saw a video recently explaining how sectors like the military, construction and the automotive industry each have 100K+ positions that they are unable to fill. A return to manufacturing adds to that shortage. Apparently there's some 7 million young men of working age that are...missing in…
A usual lack of high qualified low paid workers?