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Wyze pays $255k of tariffs on $167k of floodlights

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Re: Wyze pays $255k of tariffs on $167k of floodlights

#101

Post by ENGNR »

prof-dr-ir wrote: post #31

Similarly HYTE, mostly known for their PC cases, gives a remarkably detailed insight, both into their cost structure and how they are impacted by tariffs, in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1W_mSOS1Qts&t=1394s They also address the question of moving their production to the US.

Was super interesting.

I of course feel for them as a small business. They took risk and did the numbers and are trying to bring something great to their customers.

One angle I didn’t see covered in response… dropping the quality on the product. If America just isn’t there yet on manufacturing, and people still only want to pay $139 for a computer case… surely someone in America can sell the customer a box of some sort for $139. It might be pretty crap, but there’s already local industry selling trailers and park benches and other things made out of metal. A barebones steel case seems within reach for $139, and they can improve from there.

Re: Wyze pays $255k of tariffs on $167k of floodlights

#102

Post by danesparza »

twoodfin wrote: post #100
voidUpdate wrote: post #37

Could someone explain to an idiot like me what the benefit of this is to the americans?

Negatively polarize the Democratic Party out of their anti-trade posturing (sweatshops! outsourcing pollution! look at the rust belt!) for a generation?

Huh?

Re: Wyze pays $255k of tariffs on $167k of floodlights

#103

Post by danesparza »

therealfiona wrote: post #6

They bricked my light bulbs that I bought a few years ago. I'd have more sympathy had they not locked me out from using them.

From a "humorous absurdity" point of view, I kind of love this comment. It has just the right amount of pettiness and vindictive sentiment -- with just a hint of "tone-deaf". Bravo!

Re: Wyze pays $255k of tariffs on $167k of floodlights

#105

Post by prof-dr-ir »

danesparza wrote: post #82
prof-dr-ir wrote: post #31

Similarly HYTE, mostly known for their PC cases, gives a remarkably detailed insight, both into their cost structure and how they are impacted by tariffs, in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1W_mSOS1Qts&t=1394s They also address the question of moving their production to the US.

This is a fantastically detailed video. Thank you for sharing this! Everybody on HN should watch this video to get an inside view of what businesses are going through in America right now.

Good idea, I submitted it: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43855933

Re: Wyze pays $255k of tariffs on $167k of floodlights

#106

Post by rasz »

voidUpdate wrote: post #37

Could someone explain to an idiot like me what the benefit of this is to the americans?

Straight from the horses caretaker mouth

Lutnick: "It's time to train people not to do the jobs of the past, but to do the great jobs of the future. This is the new model where you work in these kinds of plants for the rest of your life and your kids work here and your grandkids work here. We let the auto plants go overseas."

United States Secretary of Commerce ladies and gentlemen!

Re: Wyze pays $255k of tariffs on $167k of floodlights

#107

Post by Scottn1 »

Tarrifs have started to hit the boardgame industry pretty hard already, and as an enthusiast, I have started to really worry. Within a very short span, several companies have already announced drastic slowdowns in product production/shipments and staff, to some outright closing.

https://stonemaiergames.com/we-are-suing-the-president/ https://www.cmon.com/press/an-update-on-our-internal-teams-a... https://www.greaterthangames.com/blogs/news/greater-than-gam...

Re: Wyze pays $255k of tariffs on $167k of floodlights

#108

Post by twoodfin »

danesparza wrote: post #102
twoodfin wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Negatively polarize the Democratic Party out of their anti-trade posturing (sweatshops! outsourcing pollution! look at the rust belt!) for a generation?

Huh?

Both Bill Clinton and George W. Bush were huge free traders, and Barack Obama largely carried on that bi-partisan tradition.

But the resurgent left of the Democratic Party, inspired by the anti-WTO “Battle of Seattle” and led by folks like Elizabeth Warren, made free trade toxic to enough of the party that Hillary Clinton in 2016 felt she needed to come out against Obama’s Trans-Pacific Partnership which she herself had taken a lead in negotiating.

Trump ostensibly killed it, but it was already dead. Even an incredibly beneficial trade agreement—both economically and strategically—had no constituency of consequence on Capitol Hill. With Trump’s “help” maybe one will reemerge.

Re: Wyze pays $255k of tariffs on $167k of floodlights

#109

Post by glimshe »

ENGNR wrote: post #101
prof-dr-ir wrote: post #31

Similarly HYTE, mostly known for their PC cases, gives a remarkably detailed insight, both into their cost structure and how they are impacted by tariffs, in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1W_mSOS1Qts&t=1394s They also address the question of moving their production to the US.

Was super interesting. I of course feel for them as a small business. They took risk and did the numbers and are trying to bring something great to their customers. One angle I didn’t see covered in response… dropping the quality on the product. If America just isn’t there yet on manufacturing, and people still only want to pay $139 for a computer case… surely someone in America can sell the customer a box of some so…

This. I can't understand why people don't see it. Of course we can't rebuild what China does overnight. But we can create new supply chains at a lower quality point and then climb back to our original level. I've seen it happening all over the world.

I never believed that Trump's main goal is to bring everything back to the US. Instead, the government wants a new blend of suppliers that leans more heavily on the US but diversifies inputs to many countries.

This is a worthwhile goal even if China was an US ally. We don't want all eggs in one basket.

Re: Wyze pays $255k of tariffs on $167k of floodlights

#110

Post by glimshe »

atwrk wrote: post #89
number6 wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If they had bought American floodlights they had saved 255k in tarrifs. So if they had paid 200k for the floodlights they would have still been better of. One could argue, that there might be no American Floodlight Company - well here is the incentive to build one. Secondly the money isn't lost, it goes to the state. Like a tax, but it is called differently. With this 255k more the state can now subsidise the local f…

Thanks to the chicken tax we already know how this will develop: The US floodlight company will sell those US-made lights these lights for ~400k (so at the margin of market price plus tariffs), and no one outside the US will want to buy them. This is literally what already happened with the US car industry.

There are many companies all over the world focused on local markets. The car industry is strategic, but I wouldn't mind buying a floodlight from a company that doesn't export anything.
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