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

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

#371

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.

He was impeached twice already with zero impact. No one is forcing him to leave office.

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

#372
Since last night, anyway. The people who make shipping work are frantically trying to keep up. One of the biggest customs brokers posts updates twice a day on weekdays. Last update 4 PM Friday, so they haven't caught the biggest reversal. If tariff rates change while in transit, the bond paid before the item was shipped may now be insufficient. So the container goes into storage (where?) until Customs and Border Protection gets paid. Some recipients don't have the cash to pay. Low-end resellers who order on Alibaba and sell on Amazon, for example.

Port operators hate this. Unwanted containers clog up the portside sorting and storage systems. Eventually the containers are either sent back or auctioned off by CBP, like this stuff.[1]

Some shippers outside the US have stopped shipping to the US until this settles. This includes all the major laptop makers - Lenovo, Acer, Dell, etc.[2] Nobody wants to be caught with a container in transit, a big customs bill due on receipt, and storage charges. That will recover once the rates are stable for a few weeks. Probably.

Customs and Border Protection is trying to keep up. Sometimes you have to pay more because Trump raised tariffs. Sometimes you can get a credit back because Trump dropped tariffs. Those are all exception transactions, with extra paperwork and delays.

Where's the Flexport guy from YC? He should be able to explain all this.

Consumer version: expect to see some empty shelves, rejected orders, and higher prices for the next few weeks.

[1] https://bid.cwsmarketing.com/auctions/catalog/id/167

[2] https://www.techspot.com/news/107504-trump-tariffs-force-maj...

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

#373

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Occams razor. It's Donald Trump, I've known he was a joke since the late 80s. In middle school. Baffling to see millions of people think reality TV is real and give him nuke codes.

I knew he was a joke in the lates eighties at middle school - in the UK. Baffling indeed. I am US citizen now - equally baffling on some days...

It's infuriating to rational thought but watching videos of Trump supporters talking about why they support Trump in spite of him hurting them makes it clear where his support comes from - it's a rainbow coalition of the discontented. Obviously the editors will pick the most provocative videos/sound bites but it's a pretty consistent picture.

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

#374

It's not even a week since Secretary of Commerce Lutnick was explaining how he wants to bring back millions of jobs 'screwing the little screws in iPhones' to Amercia ? There is really a good chance that we will develop a deep understanding of how the French Revolution happened and why they went straight to guillotines.

The French Revolution didn’t go “straight to guillotines”, not even close.

Had to lynch a lot of people first!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%80_la_lanterne

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

#375

I’m not seeing anyone discuss this here, so I figured I’d raise an important point: this style of tariffs is crushing for US manufacturing. While a universal tariff with no exceptions incentivizes domestic manufacturing, a selective tariff with specific industry exceptions is absolute poison. You might think, as the authors of this exemption did, “well then we will exempt computer parts.” Then people will simply impo…

> Your computer parts factory likely runs using a large amount of imported raw materials, imported machines, and imported tooling, and there are no tariff exemptions for those broad categories… so you’re screwed.

All the planning charts and demolition orders have been on display at your local 24/7 news feed for more than eight years, so there’s no point in acting surprised about it. You’ve had plenty of time to lodge any bribe worth the president's time and it’s far too late to start making a fuss about it now. Oh, for heaven’s sake, Americans, President Trump did a crypto scam on his supporters before being sworn in, you know. I’m sorry, but if you can’t be bothered to take an interest in local affairs, that’s your own lookout.

I've no sympathy at all.

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

#376
This is a massive sign that Trump's double down strategy is failing badly. He only has one play: Be a bully and double down any time someone fights back. It works when you have the leverage but as soon as you don't anymore you loose, big. The US just ran out of leverage. I don't know about everyone else but I just started looking into how to move money and investments outside the US.

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

#377

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No. This reads as capitulation by Trump who is now finding out his long held, half-baked economic theories are wrong. Trump got spanked by the bond market and realized how weak his position was. He can't walk it all back overnight without appearing even weaker than he already is. He's going to slowly roll back most consequential tariffs to try to escape blame for damaging the economy.

This is it exactly. And all the people who are calling Trump a 4cd chess master and a genius are in my opinion highly influenced by his propaganda. They have a Trump Derangement Syndrome in a worship sense.

It's called a cult of personality.

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

#378

It's not even a week since Secretary of Commerce Lutnick was explaining how he wants to bring back millions of jobs 'screwing the little screws in iPhones' to Amercia ? There is really a good chance that we will develop a deep understanding of how the French Revolution happened and why they went straight to guillotines.

Nothing about the tariffs make any sense. The want to use the tariffs to negotiate with countries but also say they want to use tariffs to bring back manufacturing. If you are using tariffs to negotiate then once the country gives you what you want, you have to lift the tariff thus the free market keeping manufacturing overseas. If you want to bring back manufacturing then you can't use the tariff to negotiate. I am…

The finer points don't matter. If it did, they'd be wondering why the nation is not awash in coal jobs and why Obamacare wasn't repealed. Both of those were supposed to have happened by 2020.

Tariffs are sold to them as "hitting back" against countries "exploiting America". They don't know what they are or how they work, and they definitely do not think of it as a tax, which is the definition you'd see in any AP Macroeconomics textbook.

All that matters is maintaining the illusion that "he's fighting for people like me".

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

#379
post #354

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

People should be more alarmed, the bar does not expel the lawyers at those firms from the profession. They must be breaking every misconduct rule. "The ABA rejects efforts to undermine the courts and the legal profession" - https://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/aba-news-archives/2... Rule 8.4: Misconduct: https://www.americanbar.org/groups/professional_responsibili...

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

#380

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Exactly. I hope our government can survive the next 4 years for criminal investigations into this era. We can't become Russia.

Trump won the popular vote. I don't think this is going away without a major demographic shift, time probably measured in decades.

He got 49.8% of the popular vote.
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