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White House announces 25 percent tariff on Chinese tech goods

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Re: White House announces 25 percent tariff on Chinese tech goods

#291
post #120
post #28

I guess my earlier comment was too long, so let me provide a shorter version: this action actively harms anyone attempting to design, prototype, and manufacture electronic devices in the US. There isn't a single component in the projects I'm currently working on which isn't impacted by this. My cost of goods just went up by 25% across the board today in an effort to help "protect" American businesses. I don't feel li…

At 5% you would laugh it off as a sales tax. I'm curious if these tariff taxes will meaningfully lower the budget deficit.

> I'm curious if these tariff taxes will meaningfully lower the budget deficit.

I think the consensus on this one was that it wouldn't.

Re: White House announces 25 percent tariff on Chinese tech goods

#292

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No decision is good for everyone. Unfortunately for you, this one isn’t

If everyone has to pay the tariff, then everyone has their costs go up, and you've basically just created a tax on the industry.

Agreed. Does everyone have to pay this tarrif? Or are you suggesting certain things should be immune from tariffs?

Re: White House announces 25 percent tariff on Chinese tech goods

#293
post #282

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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Absolutely not true. There is plenty of evidence time and time again from the top firms in this country try.

Aviation and top R&D being stolen from Boeing, just in general corporate espionage is rampant just Google it. The kicking out of top tech firms, why is Google not there in China? Why is that fair? China does not play by any rules and therefore they can’t be allowed to play with us.

The purposeful devaluation of their currency, why is that fair?

I could go on and on. I assure you I’m not a Nazi and I really dislike that part of Trumps campaign but man he is so right on this one.

Re: White House announces 25 percent tariff on Chinese tech goods

#294

> It includes a broad range of components used in electronics manufacturing, specifically naming touchscreens, batteries, and electric motors. General components like transistors are also named on the list as well as more specific components used in televisions, cameras, and radio receivers. [..] Notably, the list does not include cellphones or completed televisions. So, this will, er, serve to discourage companies f…

Another reading is that the thought going in to the tariffs was not directed toward helping Americans, but rather creating headlines big enough to crowd out reporting on the various scandals of the administration.

Ever seen "Wag The Dog?"

Re: White House announces 25 percent tariff on Chinese tech goods

#295
post #282
post #28

I guess my earlier comment was too long, so let me provide a shorter version: this action actively harms anyone attempting to design, prototype, and manufacture electronic devices in the US. There isn't a single component in the projects I'm currently working on which isn't impacted by this. My cost of goods just went up by 25% across the board today in an effort to help "protect" American businesses. I don't feel li…

[flagged]

> or did anything useful for humanity

China has been around for a long, long time and has gone through many phases, including the current incarnation. In this time they have done a great many things for humanity. Including, one could argue, hugely reducing the cost of manufactured goods.

You talk about fairly competing like the US does not massively subsidize many, many industries, undercutting other countries. Not to mention some of the stuff it did in the 80's around south America.

And let's not talk about the fact that the US stole a lot of trade secrets and IP during its industrialization from Britain and other countries.

Feeling threatened by another nation going through its industrialization process and iterating upon it is not a good look, IMO, especially when now the glove is on the other hand so to speak.

Re: White House announces 25 percent tariff on Chinese tech goods

#296

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s actually good for every country not affected by it.

Name even one country not adversely affected by increased tariffs? I’m genuinely curious who comes out ahead on this.

In this case, where the US imposed tariffs on electronic components from China, every country that imports electronic components from China except the US.

Re: White House announces 25 percent tariff on Chinese tech goods

#297

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But America does not produce all of it's own rare earth metals so manufacturing some products without also increasing raw material production could be an issue - if our goal is to decrease reliance on other countries. We have domestic rare earth metal resources. Right now, we don't mine it here, because it's too expensive to get rid of the resulting Thorium. If there was only a market for that stuff...

The USA doesn’t mine it because refining it is economically not competitive compared to Chinese producers who give a damn about pollution laws.

Not sure if Trump and his appointees do either

Re: White House announces 25 percent tariff on Chinese tech goods

#298

Earlier quoted context omitted.

GP never said China was a victim, just that a tariff screws over US companies, not China.

If manufacturing moves elsewhere and a few million already disgruntled Chinese are out of jobs, Chinese government has big problems. Their impotent threat towards the US ag industry is also laughable when we produce 40-50% of the worlds soybeans and corn. Increasing food prices for the millions of unemployed workers is surely a winning strategy Cheap labor is plentiful, there's only one US consumer market. China has…

Those of us in the rest of the world view U.S. agricultural products as subsidised and dumped on the world market. Look at the history of the Chicken Tax to see the long history of this.

The rest of the world would actually prefer jobs for our own farmers and we would also prefer to not be eating genetically modified junk from America. It is theoretically possible to live without a Harley Davidson motorbike and whatever else America actually makes these days, as for food, that is vital. Therefore in places like Japan rice is given special protection.

I hope the Chinese respond by selling off the many trillions of US bonds/debt they have been buying over the years.

I also hope that the petro-dollar is no more and that the world can move to an era of genuine fair trade.

Re: White House announces 25 percent tariff on Chinese tech goods

#299
post #293

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

Absolutely not true. There is plenty of evidence time and time again from the top firms in this country try. Aviation and top R&D being stolen from Boeing, just in general corporate espionage is rampant just Google it. The kicking out of top tech firms, why is Google not there in China? Why is that fair? China does not play by any rules and therefore they can’t be allowed to play with us. The purposeful devaluation o…

You keep saying that he is right. You realize this discourages manufacturers from manufacturing here and instead to move that to China, right? Chinese consumer goods aren’t affected, but Made in America is now more expensive.

Re: White House announces 25 percent tariff on Chinese tech goods

#300

> It includes a broad range of components used in electronics manufacturing, specifically naming touchscreens, batteries, and electric motors. General components like transistors are also named on the list as well as more specific components used in televisions, cameras, and radio receivers. [..] Notably, the list does not include cellphones or completed televisions. So, this will, er, serve to discourage companies f…

Another reading is that the thought going in to the tariffs was not directed toward helping Americans, but rather creating headlines big enough to crowd out reporting on the various scandals of the administration. Ever seen "Wag The Dog?"

Trump has been talking about the need for tariffs and industrial policy since the 1980s. This is not some scheme he's cooked up on the spur of the moment.
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