Free Traders Case For Tariffs

[o_mlly]

Bangladesh imports 34% of its products from China due to their affordability. Even if Bangladesh were to remove all import taxes on US products, US products would still be more expensive than Chinese products. Consequently, Bangladeshi consumers are unlikely to purchase US-made goods when they can acquire similar products at half the price.

Again, no citations to support your opinions. Kindly do some research and get back to me.

 

[FAITH-IN-HIM]

Again, no citations to support your opinions. Kindly do some research and get back to me.

Do you need citations to know Chinese products are cheaper than American-made ones?

I apologize for any misunderstanding. I think we should start with basic facts like products manufactured in China tend to cost significantly less than those produced in America. After understanding these basic principles, we can then progress to more complex topics such as trade deficits and free trade.

 

[wing2000]

Again, no citations to support your opinions. Kindly do some research and get back to me.

Economic common sense. Do you really think that we if we assess high tariffs on Bangladesh clothing imports, the U.S. will start making it's own clothing?

 

[o_mlly]

Do you really think that we if we assess high tariffs on Bangladesh clothing imports, the U.S. will start making it's own clothing?

That is not the intended outcome of a trade negotiation. That is economic common sense.

Do you need citations to know Chinese products are cheaper than American-made ones?

Yes. Not all Chinese goods are cheaper than US made goods. Can you be specific?

 

[FAITH-IN-HIM]

Yes. Not all Chinese goods are cheaper than US made goods. Can you be specific?

Sorry .. I have better things to do with my time then educate people online that Chinese products are cheaper then made in USA. Have a good day!

 

[wing2000]

That is not the intended outcome of a trade negotiation. That is economic common sense.

What is the "intended outcome" of a trade negotiation with Bangladesh (or similar economies) in your view?

 

[BCP1928]

Your argument contains contradictions.

The U.S. cannot balance the trade deficit and simultaneously bring jobs back to America. Balancing the trade deficit requires opening our market to foreign countries, allowing them to sell products here while they reciprocate. However, "Made in America" products are often more expensive than those from developing nations,

And increasingly not as good. That goes for more expensive products, too, I give you Boeing as an example. We're also supposed to be down on BMW, who manufacture BMW cars here in the US and exports them to Europe. We're also supposed to be down on Nippon Steel, who wanted to buy US Steel and manufacture steel here in the US. They believed they could make steel at a profit in US Steel's plants using US union labor, even before tariffs--something that US Steel's present managers are incapable of. Here's another: A major South Korean manufacturer of solar panels has just opened a big plant near me--900 jobs--to make the same solar panels they already make in Korea. They started building it before tariffs and thought they could make money. Now, with the tariffs, they will make even more money, because they can raise their anticipated price.

MAGA!

 

[o_mlly]

Sorry .. I have better things to do with my time then educate people online that Chinese products are cheaper then made in USA. Have a good day!

Don't be sorry, you may leave our exchange in peace. But remember, in order to educate another, one must use facts, not opinions.

 

[o_mlly]

What is the "intended outcome" of a trade negotiation with Bangladesh (or similar economies) in your view?

The outcome of the US imposing tariffs is to cause worldwide tariffs to plummet to at or near zero, and in turn, American tariffs plummet as well to at or near zero.

 

[wing2000]

The outcome of the US imposing tariffs is to cause worldwide tariffs to plummet to at or near zero, and in turn, American tariffs plummet as well to at or near zero.

In a matter of weeks, Trump reversed decades of negotiations to reduce tariffs with trading partners....

 

[o_mlly]

In a matter of weeks, Trump reversed decades of negotiations to reduce tariffs with trading partners....

Do you have a reputable source that supports your opinion?

 

[Aryeh Jay]

Economic common sense. Do you really think that we if we assess high tariffs on Bangladesh clothing imports, the U.S. will start making it's own clothing?

Citation?

 

[Aryeh Jay]

In a matter of weeks, Trump reversed decades of negotiations to reduce tariffs with trading partners....

He did reverse that horrible deal with Canada and Mexico that some moron made.

 

[wing2000]

Do you have a reputable source that supports your opinion?

Four decades of observing international relations.

 

[o_mlly]

Four decades of observing international relations.

Well, the demand was for a reputable source. And, as I have five decades of observing international relations, is my opinion, therefore, superior to yours?

 

[wing2000]

Well, the demand was for a reputable source. And, as I have five decades of observing international relations, is my opinion, therefore, superior to yours?

The historical record demonstrates what I stated. You can start by researching GATT.

GATT

www.law.cornell.edu

 

[wing2000]

"GATT successfully reduced average tariffs among member countries from over 20% to around 5% or less."


The weighted average applied tariff rate on all imports will rise to 25.5 percent under the tariffs currently in effect. The average effective tariff rate, reflecting how much tariff revenue the new tariffs will raise after incorporating behavioral responses, such as imports falling in response to higher tariffs, will rise to 11.1 percent under the current tariffs—the highest average rate since 1943. We estimate tariffs will cause imports to fall by about $740 billion in 2025, or 22 percent.

Tracking the Economic Impact of the Trump Tariffs

The tariffs amount to an average tax increase of nearly $1,300 per US household in 2025.

taxfoundation.org

 

[o_mlly]

"GATT successfully reduced average tariffs among member countries from over 20% to around 5% or less."


The weighted average applied tariff rate on all imports will rise to 25.5 percent under the tariffs currently in effect. The average effective tariff rate, reflecting how much tariff revenue the new tariffs will raise after incorporating behavioral responses, such as imports falling in response to higher tariffs, will rise to 11.1 percent under the current tariffs—the highest average rate since 1943. We estimate tariffs will cause imports to fall by about $740 billion in 2025, or 22 percent.

Tracking the Economic Impact of the Trump Tariffs

The tariffs amount to an average tax increase of nearly $1,300 per US household in 2025.

taxfoundation.org

Did you miss the headline? Topline Preliminary Estimates.

It is also a mistake to believe that the administration endgame is to raise tariffs, rather it is to eliminate them. Given the status quo under Biden, those countries enjoying the unlevel playing field had no reason to negotiate. Now they do.

 

[Hans Blaster]

It is also a mistake to believe that the administration endgame is to raise tariffs, rather it is to eliminate them. Given the status quo under Biden, those countries enjoying the unlevel playing field had no reason to negotiate. Now they do.

What makes you think that is the case? (Setting aside Trump's delusion that manufacturing will rush back to the US.) Trump (and his minions) have spoken repeatedly about using tariff revenue to replace the income tax. You can't do that if the tariffs are lower. The pre-Trump tariffs brought in small amount of revenue relative to personal income taxes and if the tariff rates go down and there is less importing (local manufacturing) then the tariff revenue will go down. That creates a short fall, not a surplus.

Then we could talk about Trump's many decades of talking about how much he loves tariffs. Through that whole period the main economic thrust of the GOP and most of the conservative movement was lower tariffs, trade barriers, and free trade. (Other parts of the right were more interested in social issues and didn't say much or anything about economics.)

Trump and his minions talk about getting trade deals a lot, but they are very nebulous about what those "deals" will be. Nothing public indicates the primary goal is to lower tariffs.

 

[o_mlly]

What makes you think that is the case? (Setting aside Trump's delusion that manufacturing will rush back to the US.)

No one expects a rush. We cannot reverse in a year what has accumulated for 50+ years. Captial first, jobs second, GDP growth third, tax revenues will increase as GDP increases.

The end game is to restore the US's manufacturing base that has been eroded over the past 50+ years by unfair trading practices.

Now, what is your plan to resolve our $36 trillion dollar debt and our trade debt of $22 trillion since 1970?