How foreign countries fighting against tariffs can sink our country

SimplyMe · Apr 16, 2025

mark46 said:
I wasn't aware of the chicken tax. I don't think there is much that could be done to keep Americans from buying F-150's, even getting rid of the tax.

You are correct with regard to emissions. Meeting US standards is costly and we don't allow foreign autos to avoid our requirements.

Since the Chicken Tax is a tariff for European and Asian trucks, and the F-150 is made in North America, the tariff does not apply. Instead, this has been used more to prevent foreign trucks, like the Toyota Hilux or the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van (which finally came to the US when they built a plant to make them in the US) from being imported.

As for emissions, the cost isn't in meeting US standards -- they can do that relatively easily. While US emissions are a bit different from EU emissions, the cost per car is about the same. The high cost is in getting the government to certify that each model complies with US standards -- again, the process seems particularly designed to discourage foreign manufacturers from bringing all their models to the US (they only will want to bring them if they believe they well sell enough cars of that model to offset the cost of getting the model certified).

Always in His Presence · Apr 16, 2025

mark46 said:
You are correct with regard to emissions. Meeting US standards is costly and we don't allow foreign autos to avoid our requirements.

Except they are now burning electric vehicles. They don’t seem to mind the toxins and carcinogens being released into the atmosphere. As long as they are the product of someone they don’t like.

Proof in the pudding is the Democratic Senators who traded his Tesla in for a Chevy Tahoe. A known gas guzzler

mark46 · Apr 16, 2025

Always in His Presence said:
Except they are now burning electric vehicles. They don’t seem to mind the toxins and carcinogens being released into the atmosphere. As long as they are the product of someone they don’t like.

Proof in the pudding is the Democratic Senators who traded his Tesla in for a Chevy Tahoe. A known gas guzzler

how many electric vehicles have been burned? Musk is much more worried about the effect of the tariffs and the coming downturn.

Always in His Presence · Apr 16, 2025

mark46 said:
how many electric vehicles have been burned?

Between those fire bombed at dealership, damaged in singular acts of terror. Quite a few

How many is an acceptable number before we start worrying about the toxins and carcinogens emitted by their destruction.

mark46 said:
Musk is much more worried about the effect of the tariffs and the coming downturn.

Can you provide a link where he states that position please

SimplyMe · Apr 16, 2025

Always in His Presence said:
Between those fire bombed at dealership, damaged in singular acts of terror. Quite a few

How many is an acceptable number before we start worrying about the toxins and carcinogens emitted by their destruction.

Can you provide a link where he states that position please

Per this article, I'm counting about 15 in the US. There were a couple of attacks that were stopped, that may have stopped a few more burning but it still wouldn't be that many, total. Though, again, I feel I better state again that I am against vandalism as a form of protest and that burning Teslas is idiotic.

As for "an acceptable number," the acceptable number would be zero. At the same time, compared with the toxins and carcinogens from the roughly 300 million Internal Combustion automobiles and light trucks (pickups and vans) are putting into the air as exhaust in the US, the toxins and carcinogens from those 15 burned Teslas are basically unnoticeable. And that is before we calculate the ICE vehicles which catch fire each year (roughly 1,530 ICE vehicle fires per 100,000 vehicles sold per year).

Again, burning Teslas to protest against Musk is stupid. At the same time, there seems to be a lot of hypocrisy among Republicans claiming some type of "environmental disaster" from those few EVs burning, when they ignore (and in some cases, encourage) the pollution from ICE cars (such as "rolling coal" on EVs).

Bradskii · Apr 17, 2025

Always in His Presence said:
No - but their economy is in large part dependent on the goods the US does purchase from them that are under 145% tariff right now. Their financial situation does rest on what they need - why do you think their currency is tanking?

I don't think that you understand the Chinese mindset. Their government will not budge. They will reset their economy and adjust it to align more with Asia. You're going to be completely left out of it. See my post above this one.

Always in His Presence said:
Why are you not buying it from them right now?

They're not selling to anyone right now. They'll eventually deal with countries that aren't hitting them with nonsensical tariffs (the US is now talking about 245%).

Bradskii · Apr 17, 2025

Always in His Presence said:
Why can't we just develop the processing here in the US? We already have mines that produce the minerals.

From here: Infographic: Where Are the World’s Rare Earths?

Look at how much you have. Take China out of the equation and you're in deep trouble. And almost all of Brazil's materials are already contracted to China: How Brazil’s Rare Earths Mine Illustrates China’s Grip Over Minerals.

Bradskii · Apr 17, 2025

Always in His Presence said:
And then built 300 different corporations...

Please don't make me list all his failed companies. I really don't have the time. Just concentrate on the matter at hand. I think you're learning a lot about how bad the situation actually is. Whether you'll accept that or whether you'll continue to deny what's happening is of some interest.

Always in His Presence · Apr 17, 2025

Bradskii said:
I don't think that you understand the Chinese mindset.

Have you been to China? When was the last business deal you made with China? I don't think you understand the American mindset. Well at least 76,000,000 of them who still to this day support our president.

Bradskii said:
Please don't make me list all his failed companies. I really don't have the time. Just concentrate on the matter at hand. I think you're learning a lot about how bad the situation actually is. Whether you'll accept that or whether you'll continue to deny what's happening is of some interest.

No, What I am learning is that someone who sits 16 thousands miles away believes they know more than a person who lives in the country they incessantly complain about.

Always in His Presence · Apr 17, 2025

If one would simply read outside of the Propagandist - they could find interesting articles like this:

In the escalating trade war between the United States and China, one notable exception stood out: 31 critical minerals, including rare earth elements, were strategically exempted from tariffs.

Oh - look rare earth minerals we EXEMPT from tariffs -

This was not a gesture of goodwill. It was a tacit acknowledgment of the United States’ deep dependence on China for materials essential to its technological competitiveness, clean energy transition and national defense.

Beijing’s response was swift and calculated. China’s Ministry of Commerce announced expanded export controls and a shift in pricing principles. The move reflects China’s long-standing effort to shift rare earth pricing from market supply and demand to pricing based on their strategic value.

The impact was immediate. Rare earth exports from China effectively ground to a halt, as exporters awaited approvals under a new, opaque licensing regime.

It is STALLED while they redo licensing - they could be making billions right now -

What is interesting is a little farther down:

As global supply chains reel from these disruptions, Australia finds itself in a unique strategic position. As a trusted US ally, it possesses the resources, partnerships and political capital to step into the breach. But can Australia seize this opportunity – or will it come with strings attached?

Sounds like it would be a financial boon to our friends in Australia. What would hundreds of billions of dollars added to their economy do for them.

Fantine · Apr 17, 2025

Doesn't matter. China is freezing exports of rare minerals to the US--because it's their winning card.
They can get a better deal freezing their exportation--it will force Trump to cancel all the China tariffs.
Does he think they're stupid enough to take a crumb when they can hold out for the whole loaf?

Always in His Presence · Apr 17, 2025

Fantine said:
Doesn't matter. China is freezing exports of rare minerals to the US--because it's their winning card.
They can get a better deal freezing their exportation--it will force Trump to cancel all the China tariffs.
Does he think they're stupid enough to take a crumb when they can hold out for the whole loaf?

Except he just RAISED their tariffs to 245% in response to the ban

mark46 · Apr 17, 2025

Always in His Presence said:
Except they are now burning electric vehicles. They don’t seem to mind the toxins and carcinogens being released into the atmosphere. As long as they are the product of someone they don’t like.

Proof in the pudding is the Democratic Senators who traded his Tesla in for a Chevy Tahoe. A known gas guzzler

so

Bradskii · Apr 17, 2025

Always in His Presence said:
Have you been to China?

I lived and worked in Hong Kong for two years and travelled in China during that time. The last time I was in China was in September last year. My Cantonese is pretty rusty but I'll bet it's better than yours.

Always in His Presence said:
No, What I am learning is that someone who sits 16 thousands miles away believes they know more than a person who lives in the country they incessantly complain about.

What does living in the US have to do with knowing facts about rare earth metals? What does living in the US have to do with knowing how stupid it is to start a trade war with China? What does living in the US have to do with knowing about how much of the material Brazil has and who it's contracted to? You live in the US and you've shown that your knowledge of these matters is somewhat lacking.

Always in His Presence · Apr 17, 2025

Bradskii said:
I lived and worked in Hong Kong for two years and travelled in China during that time. The last time I was in China was in September last year. My Cantonese is pretty rusty but I'll bet it's better than yours.

I can guarantee you it is 100% better than mine, because I have none. I can respect your perspective since you have had personal interaction in country. Perhaps one day you can come and spend time in the US, I think you would be pleasantly surprised. I'm a little jealous - I'm in Europe and the Middle East a number of times a year - never had the pleasure of going to China, but do have the privilege to financially support several underground churches there.

Bradskii said:
What does living in the US have to do with knowing facts about rare earth metals?

First - I did not say anything about living in the US - I asked if you knew the American mindset, because you were the one who put impetus on the importance of knowing about a country. To wit:

Bradskii said:
I don't think that you understand the Chinese mindset.

so the rest of the questions make no connection with what I actually asked.

Consider the following which I have shown as fact and linked to:

The US mines these minerals already and send them to China for processing.
1. Why not process them here in the US?
Australia already mines these minerals and is poised to fill in the gap made by China.
1. Why not partner with our allies in Australia and give them the money that was going to an enemy
China is well known for using slave labor and destroying the environment
1. How Rare-Earth Mining Has Devastated China’s Environment
2. Chinese lithium-ion batteries made with child labour,
Why would you want to support a country that uses forced child labor to ruin the environment?

Since you seem fond of the term "stupid" as a descriptor for actions you do not agree with; would it not be an appropriate descriptor also for going into a situation with viable alternatives and not looking into them?

Bradskii · Apr 18, 2025

Always in His Presence said:
Perhaps one day you can come and spend time in the US, I think you would be pleasantly surprised.

I've been three times over the last few years. Spent many months driving thousands of miles across (checks map) 14 states. I've interacted with people from NY to San Francisco and from Alaska to Alabama.

Always in His Presence said:
First - I did not say anything about living in the US - I asked if you knew the American mindset...

I'd suggest that I do. I know how people in the UK think because I was born and raised there. I know how Australians think because I've lived half my life here. And I have a pretty good idea what makes the US tick because I've been studying your country and your politics for close to fifty years.

Always in His Presence said:
The US mines these minerals already and send them to China for processing.

Why not process them here in the US?

Australia already mines these minerals and is poised to fill in the gap made by China.

Why not partner with our allies in Australia and give them the money that was going to an enemy.

You saw the chart I posted. What you have in the US is a drop in the ocean. It doesn't matter where you process it. You haven't got enough. I can't put it any plainer. And did you actually just say 'allies'? Hah! Our PM recently said this: Trump tariffs: Anger as Australia hit with 10% tax on exports

"The administration's tariffs have no basis in logic and they go against the basis of our two nation's partnership. This is not the act of a friend," he added.'

What we've got in Australia we'll keep, thanks. So we don't have to rely on others, like China. And seriously, you want to start hitting us with tariffs on pharmaceuticals so those who need them here have to pay the same ridiculous prices as you do and then say 'Oh, and by the way, I wonder if you could maybe send over some of those rare earth materials that you have. Thanks so much.'

Forget it. You voted for the guy. He wants to isolate the US from everyone else and be 'self sufficient' so that's the way it's going to be. We talk plainly down here. A little too plain for forum rules. So I'll skip what I would tell your president to do should he have the nerve to come cap in hand for any help from us.

7thKeeper · Apr 18, 2025

Always in His Presence said:
Except they are now burning electric vehicles. They don’t seem to mind the toxins and carcinogens being released into the atmosphere. As long as they are the product of someone they don’t like.

Proof in the pudding is the Democratic Senators who traded his Tesla in for a Chevy Tahoe. A known gas guzzler

And what did that have to do with the post you were replying to? The discussion was about emission standards and what they have to do with imported cars. Almost seems like... You were trying to distract away from the topic...

How foreign countries fighting against tariffs can sink our country

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How Rare-Earth Mining Has Devastated China’s Environment​

Chinese lithium-ion batteries made with child labour,​

Why would you want to support a country that uses forced child labor to ruin the environment?​

Since you seem fond of the term "stupid" as a descriptor for actions you do not agree with; would it not be an appropriate descriptor also for going into a situation with viable alternatives and not looking into them?​

Under the Southern Cross I stand...

Venture life, Burn your Dread

Similar threads

How Rare-Earth Mining Has Devastated China’s Environment

Chinese lithium-ion batteries made with child labour,

Why would you want to support a country that uses forced child labor to ruin the environment?

Since you seem fond of the term "stupid" as a descriptor for actions you do not agree with; would it not be an appropriate descriptor also for going into a situation with viable alternatives and not looking into them?