Trump exempts phones, computers, chips from ‘reciprocal’ tariffs • Hacker News Board

Re: Trump exempts phones, computers, chips from ‘reciprocal’ tariffs

#301

Post by kowabungalow » Sat, Apr 12, 2025, 9:26 PM UTC

steveBK123 wrote: post #167

netsharc wrote: post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thinking the status quo will return so easily is like Putin pulling out of Ukraine and saying "So we're back to 23rd January (Edit/Correction: February) 2022, right, friends?". The trust in the US (dollar) hegemony has now been eroded, and will probably continue until a purge of the regime of idiots (not just the oust of one idiot...).

Well yes, either position was dismissibly stupid. No president is going to ride out a self-imposed multi-year global trade reconfiguration triggering inflation, shortages and unemployment. Nor is putting the genie back in the bottle possible now and so even if you return to status quo trade policy, you've now spooked the world re: reliability of US as partners, US dollar, US debt, etc. Worst of both worlds really. In…

The goals are petty profit, some extortion, some illegal trading. Destroying 80% of the value of the US isn't meaningful if he gets to own a lot more of the remainder. Everything is profit for the broke real estate conman of 2015.

Re: Trump exempts phones, computers, chips from ‘reciprocal’ tariffs

#302

Post by miohtama » Sat, Apr 12, 2025, 9:27 PM UTC

jm4 wrote: post #169

steveBK123 wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The whole thing strikes me as a bunch of nepobaby/fake academic/banker bro advisors who have no idea how the physical world works. As much as I think Musk is a bad actor at this point, talking to him about supply chains would have highlighted how insane this whole plan was from day 1. My dad is a retired EE who dealt with the 90s offshoring wave and described the process of spinning up offshore production with a new…

It’s pure stupidity and most people don’t even realize it. Last night I met a couple at a country club where I was a guest - one of those $100k/yr places - and they asked me if my trade partners are charging me more with the tariffs. I told them the U.S. government is charging me more with the tariffs and my trade partners are charging me more because the value of the dollar is down. This was the first time anyone to…

I have seen country clubs only in movies. Do those places really exist and are they as stereotypical as one might expect?

Re: Trump exempts phones, computers, chips from ‘reciprocal’ tariffs

#303

Post by howard941 » Sat, Apr 12, 2025, 9:27 PM UTC

They're called reciprocal but the Chinese tariffs on US goods looks like they're gonna stay. That and dumping our bonds doesn't bode well for the rest of us.

Re: Trump exempts phones, computers, chips from ‘reciprocal’ tariffs

#304

Post by boredpeter » Sat, Apr 12, 2025, 9:29 PM UTC

jonplackett wrote: post #60

cinbun8 wrote: post #30

From an outsider’s perspective, it’s difficult to discern any coherent U.S. strategy—assuming one even exists. One day it’s a 145% tariff on China. The next, it’s “Well, it’s still 145%, but Apple and Nvidia are exempted because their stock prices might take a hit.” Then comes a 90-day pause, adding to the confusion. It’s not clear whether Jamieson Greer is actually steering this, or if any of it was thoroughly thoug…

This is the only explanation that has made sense to me so far. And it makes even more sense based on these exemptions. https://www.instagram.com/share/_jW_V1hwM This is Senator Chris Murphy explaining it’s not economic policy, it’s an attempt to blackmail corporations into submission by making a deal with him in return for sanctions relief. Keep an eye out for what Apple and nvidia might have agreed to give.

[dead]

Re: Trump exempts phones, computers, chips from ‘reciprocal’ tariffs

#305

Post by rotexo » Sat, Apr 12, 2025, 9:30 PM UTC

sitkack wrote: post #142

unclebucknasty wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's exactly what it is. And, the seemingly haphazard, unpredictable nature of it is a feature, serving as perfect cover: "Why these exemptions?" "Who knows? None of it makes sense." But, of course, it does. It's also consistent with other, publicly-wielded cudgels, like the law-firm extortions under threat of executive orders.

People should be more alarmed of these law firms, they will be used as his private army.

I think his private armies are going to be his private armies. Think Wagner group, to be deployed domestically and in central/South America.

Re: Trump exempts phones, computers, chips from ‘reciprocal’ tariffs

#306

Post by scarface_74 » Sat, Apr 12, 2025, 9:36 PM UTC

forinti wrote: post #190

jonplackett wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is the only explanation that has made sense to me so far. And it makes even more sense based on these exemptions. https://www.instagram.com/share/_jW_V1hwM This is Senator Chris Murphy explaining it’s not economic policy, it’s an attempt to blackmail corporations into submission by making a deal with him in return for sanctions relief. Keep an eye out for what Apple and nvidia might have agreed to give.

I think the most probable outcome is that Trump causes enough trouble to incite the whole country against him. I don't see him completing his term. He's going to be impeached.

About 30-40% of the country will stand behind the cult of Trump no matter what he does. With that power, almost every single Republican politician is afraid of getting primaried. Trump has already been impeached twice and it went nowhere.

Re: Trump exempts phones, computers, chips from ‘reciprocal’ tariffs

#307

Post by SpicyLemonZest » Sat, Apr 12, 2025, 9:37 PM UTC

righthand wrote: post #95

Why is no one highlighting how this is repeating history 8 years ago? I don’t get it, there’s this magical reporting gap where all of this is new strategy but it’s the exact same strategy. Why don’t we acknowledge this instead of searching for some new angle? Here are a bunch of links from 2018/2019: https://www.cnbc.com/2019/12/13/apple-dodges-iphone-tariff-a... https://www.kiplinger.com/slideshow/investing/t052-s00…

The articles you've linked are about threats of 10% to 25% tariffs in the context of active trade negotiations between the US and China. Here, there's an actually imposed tariff of 145% and no talks at all as far as has been reported. It's not the same situation.

Re: Trump exempts phones, computers, chips from ‘reciprocal’ tariffs

#308

Post by jraines » Sat, Apr 12, 2025, 9:40 PM UTC

jonplackett wrote: post #275

zzzeek wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

he's a US Senator. Senators are very important here

Yeah I get that he’s a senator! I mean how much in the public eye is he. Would a random person know who he is? We have hundreds of Members of Parliament here in the UK, but probably only 10 that most people could name. I wondered how big his public profile is.

Most Senators are not well known nationally (sadly) unless they’ve either:

- done a non-negligible Presidential campaign

- been born from a famous family

- the press either love them or love to hate them

- have a leadership position and/or are conspicuously ancient

Relentless self-promotors are a superset of 3, the ones who succeed

Unfortunately being sensible, cooperative, or good with policy isn’t on the list

It can occasionally work for state Governors

Re: Trump exempts phones, computers, chips from ‘reciprocal’ tariffs

#309

Post by djeastm » Sat, Apr 12, 2025, 9:42 PM UTC

righthand wrote: post #95

Why is no one highlighting how this is repeating history 8 years ago? I don’t get it, there’s this magical reporting gap where all of this is new strategy but it’s the exact same strategy. Why don’t we acknowledge this instead of searching for some new angle? Here are a bunch of links from 2018/2019: https://www.cnbc.com/2019/12/13/apple-dodges-iphone-tariff-a... https://www.kiplinger.com/slideshow/investing/t052-s00…

Wow you had these at-the-ready, didn't you. Thanks.

*I've read through a few of these and it seems like perhaps Trump still thinks it's 2018/19, but China's position has only gotten stronger.

It seems the attempt to jack up tariffs so high this time was a bluff to "show" how strong we can be, but he miscalculated on how shaky the stock/bond markets actually currently are and the financial players know we're not in a position to go it alone.

And China knows this and they know they can wait us out. I believe it will be considered a misstep, at best and a catastrophe at worst.

Re: Trump exempts phones, computers, chips from ‘reciprocal’ tariffs

#310

Post by blackoil » Sat, Apr 12, 2025, 9:46 PM UTC

throwaway48476 wrote: post #106

brookst wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

“Fix” implies it’s broken. This is like saying it’s one way to fix America’s relative wealth.

If you spend more money than you make, then yes it's broken. And no printing money is not a solution, it's just a different form of taxation.

You are assuming manufacturing trade as only income. Services export and IP export are other where USA leads. When Apple sells iPhone in India and China, it gets to bring back the profits to the USA. Same goes for EU paying for Netflix and Disney movies and Google services. Same for McDonalds, Starbucks, Coca Cola and Pepsi. Collectively, US companies make 100s of billions of profits from outside USA. Another perk is being the reserve currency, you print bonds for free, get clothes/toys for that and rest of the world is just holding onto that IOU. Again, trillions of dollars.