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Canada slashes 100% tariffs on Chinese EVs to 6%

electrek.co

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Re: Canada slashes 100% tariffs on Chinese EVs to 6%

#341
post #234

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's basically it. The Chinese government views the rest of the world through Hobbesian self interest, but in the late 20th century financial way. They want your money, but lawfully. The US has turned into something much more vindictive and unpredictable, including threatening to invade Canada.

Lawfully? How many IPs have they stolen from universities and companies across the world?

https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/america-once-stole-ideas-f...

Re: Canada slashes 100% tariffs on Chinese EVs to 6%

#342
post #328

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That’s the point. Unless the system of checks and balances starts working again, there is no practical difference.

Yep. I don't know if anyone is interested in anecdotes, but looking from Europe, I will do my best to avoid any kind of US dependency until US has a) overhauled the legal system starting from the Supreme Court and b) gotten rid of the de facto two-party system. (No, one-party system does not count.)

Is that the extent of your requirements (for now, at least) ?

As an American I keep trying to surmise what we're going to need to do to start repairing the damage from this massive self-own. It's kind of hard because we don't know where the bottom will be, but we at least need to start having these discussions on what constructive approaches might even look like - we can't have our milquetoast opposition party phoning it in yet again with entitlement as the less-bad option.

External context is key - one of the main goals of this hybrid warfare attack on the western world has been to disrupt our relationships with our allies, and also because other countries have developed Democracies that function way better than ours. So please know that at least some of us are listening.

Re: Canada slashes 100% tariffs on Chinese EVs to 6%

#343

What will be interesting are the restrictions on where the BYD vehicles are allowed to go. e.g. https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/366599/chinese-evs-banned...

I'm also curious to see if we will see more "no drive zones". We see this in other domains: I recently talked to someone from an asset inspection (think flying around bridges to check for fractures) company. They can't use DJI drones because of security concerns.

What has astounded me about all this is the extent to which so much of our industry fall crisply into one of two groups: 1. Chinese stuff is cheap incompetent rubbish anyway, anyone near it is by definition a loser, so who cares? 2. Chinese stuff is perfect, amazing and we should just stop doing everything and buy what they're selling. They'll totally open factories here and give us jobs too!

The actual reality, which people like your asset inspection firm are dealing with, is the Chinese have leapfrogged the west in so many important respects, but to preserve security we have to live in an expensive technological backwater since the leaders of our society are so resistant to internal disruptive competition that may result in other people displacing them.

Re: Canada slashes 100% tariffs on Chinese EVs to 6%

#344
post #328

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That’s the point. Unless the system of checks and balances starts working again, there is no practical difference.

Yep. I don't know if anyone is interested in anecdotes, but looking from Europe, I will do my best to avoid any kind of US dependency until US has a) overhauled the legal system starting from the Supreme Court and b) gotten rid of the de facto two-party system. (No, one-party system does not count.)

The two-party system is fine. We have to be honest about the fact that parliamentary systems can give massive power to a tiny fraction of the population when that small party becomes the deciding vote.

The problems with the USA political system are: electoral college, senate being 2 votes per state, and the supreme court being 7 people for life. But nothing can be done about the last two now. Especially now that the Supreme Court made a decision limiting how amendments can be ratified.

Re: Canada slashes 100% tariffs on Chinese EVs to 6%

#345

The US government has really handled this poorly. Let's take one of our closest allies and push them into the arms of our biggest rival. All while helping boost that rival's total exports to record numbers. And boosting their universities to top positions in world rankings. Just brilliant, guys. "Make America Great Again" sure seems like it was intentionally tongue-in-cheek.

The decision for slapping 100% tariffs on Chinese EVs was made by the Biden administration in 2024.

Yes and Canada followed through in matching because the USA was our strongest ally and we had a unified auto industry.

That is no longer the case through the actions of the new US Government.

Accordingly it no longer makes sense for Canada to mirror US tariffs against China.

Re: Canada slashes 100% tariffs on Chinese EVs to 6%

#346

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As an American I'm rooting for everyone else these days. Good for Canada. I hope the EU builds stronger trade with China too and America gets left in the cold to whither and die. Trump, Vance, Miller, Noem, Musk, Bezos all of them just forgotten about and completely irrelevant to the rest of the world.

[flagged]

Politics gets people talking.

Re: Canada slashes 100% tariffs on Chinese EVs to 6%

#348

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As an American I'm rooting for everyone else these days. Good for Canada. I hope the EU builds stronger trade with China too and America gets left in the cold to whither and die. Trump, Vance, Miller, Noem, Musk, Bezos all of them just forgotten about and completely irrelevant to the rest of the world.

[flagged]

Sorry 100% human.

Do you think maybe I created the account so that I could post it and not feel afraid of repercussions, because I live in a fascist country run by thugs?

Re: Canada slashes 100% tariffs on Chinese EVs to 6%

#349
post #234

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's basically it. The Chinese government views the rest of the world through Hobbesian self interest, but in the late 20th century financial way. They want your money, but lawfully. The US has turned into something much more vindictive and unpredictable, including threatening to invade Canada.

Lawfully? How many IPs have they stolen from universities and companies across the world?

Intellectual property as it exists and is used today overwhelmingly is used to stifle competition and lock down monopolies. It's used to project power internationally by deputizing foreign countries to protect American business interests. It's a far cry from how it's popularly presented as a way for the "little guy" to protect their inventions.

Re: Canada slashes 100% tariffs on Chinese EVs to 6%

#350

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think that Canada has to de-leverage trade with the US is what the take away should be. Not that this trade deal itself is going to change all the balances -- its that there are other players who can start to trade - reducing dependence on the US. The compounding effects are damaging as are switching costs.

What it looks like to me is that Carney the businessman is trying to work for the best terms in an eventual annexation scenario.

He should negotiate directly with Putin then instead of Trump the middle-man
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