EU to Trump - 'We can also do stupid'

[oldsoul]

Yeah, it hurts everyone. Except China. The guy didn't say the WTO should use tariffs. I don't know what he thought--pressure of some kind I guess--because despite what Trump says, historically tariffs don't seem to work out very well.

Tariffs work great for Europe. Nearly every car in Germany is made in Germany.

If that is your measure of "success" then I'm sure you are correct. Just remember, made in Germany (or anywhere else) does not equal made better. Nor does it equate to a better standard of living.

Most people do equate “made in Germany” as being better. But, that’s not why they do tariffs, it’s to protect their manufacturing jobs.

Doesn't make it right, or an overall good thing to do. Here is a short article describing the effects of tariffs.https://www.economicshelp.org/blog/218/trade/benefits-and-costs-of-tariffs/ There is an upside, and a downside. History, as I understand it, leads me to believe the overall balance tends to fall more to the downside. If you can show me how I am wrong, please do so, I am always up for learning more about our wonderful world and how it works.

If the country in question is already tariffing our goods we are evening the playing field by tariffing them back. Like Germany for instance.

If someone punches you, while you are well within your rights to defend yourself, punching them back, is not always the best solution. This is a complex issue, and requires more sophisticated solutions than that. Sometimes the best solution IS to counter tariffs with tariffs, however, that, I would argue, is the exception.

Take China, for instance. If we slap large tariffs on their goods to encourage them to improve their human rights and environmental record, will it work? I doubt it.

Would it not be better to work with them to further their gains? Maybe work out a trade deal that helps them incorporate better, more environmentally friendly, technologies into their industries and economy; while improving the competitive standing of our industries? Would that, possibly, then lead to even more gains in the standard of living in China, and here? I don't pretend to know the answers to these questions.I trust that people who know far more about this than I are working to find a better solution, that will benefit BOTH nations.

 

[kaz]

The one good thing about the GOP was their stances on free trade and capitalism. It’s shocking how quickly and easily they abandoned them.

From the guy who flipped from a lifetime of anti-free trade to anti-tariff because of Trump and will flip back just as fast when Trump is gone ...

Just FYI, there are a lot of anti-free trade Republicans I've argued with for years and I haven't seen the cast change on the Republican side at all. It's Democrats who are suddenly for free trade. Temporarily

I have never opposed free trade and have spoken against tariffs and subsidies as tools to improve the evonomy since the day I joined the board.

If that were true, you'd know that Democrats are primarily against free trade and pro-tariff because you would be arguing with them when they disagreed with you. Since you don't know that and blamed Republicans, you're lying

 

[TheOldSchool]

The one good thing about the GOP was their stances on free trade and capitalism. It’s shocking how quickly and easily they abandoned them.

From the guy who flipped from a lifetime of anti-free trade to anti-tariff because of Trump and will flip back just as fast when Trump is gone ...

Just FYI, there are a lot of anti-free trade Republicans I've argued with for years and I haven't seen the cast change on the Republican side at all. It's Democrats who are suddenly for free trade. Temporarily

I have never opposed free trade and have spoken against tariffs and subsidies as tools to improve the evonomy since the day I joined the board.

If that were true, you'd know that Democrats are primarily against free trade and pro-tariff because you would be arguing with them when they disagreed with you. Since you don't know that and blamed Republicans, you're lying

I applauded republicans for being pro-free trade and anti-tariff. One of just a few admirable traits of the modern GOP.

 

[kaz]

The one good thing about the GOP was their stances on free trade and capitalism. It’s shocking how quickly and easily they abandoned them.

From the guy who flipped from a lifetime of anti-free trade to anti-tariff because of Trump and will flip back just as fast when Trump is gone ...

Just FYI, there are a lot of anti-free trade Republicans I've argued with for years and I haven't seen the cast change on the Republican side at all. It's Democrats who are suddenly for free trade. Temporarily

I have never opposed free trade and have spoken against tariffs and subsidies as tools to improve the evonomy since the day I joined the board.

If that were true, you'd know that Democrats are primarily against free trade and pro-tariff because you would be arguing with them when they disagreed with you. Since you don't know that and blamed Republicans, you're lying

I applauded republicans for being pro-free trade and anti-tariff. One of just a few admirable traits of the modern GOP.

You're still evading admitting that Democrats are overwhelmingly anti-free trade. Just can't criticize a Democrat, can you?

 

[Slyhunter]

The one good thing about the GOP was their stances on free trade and capitalism. It’s shocking how quickly and easily they abandoned them.

From the guy who flipped from a lifetime of anti-free trade to anti-tariff because of Trump and will flip back just as fast when Trump is gone ...

Just FYI, there are a lot of anti-free trade Republicans I've argued with for years and I haven't seen the cast change on the Republican side at all. It's Democrats who are suddenly for free trade. Temporarily

I have never opposed free trade and have spoken against tariffs and subsidies as tools to improve the evonomy since the day I joined the board.

Then tell Germany, England, Japan, etc to stop taxing our shit so that we can't compete in their countries with their manufacturers of the same product. They did it first.

 

[Slyhunter]

Hmmm......the EU should probably shut up....and the OP may want to realize what happened in his own neck of the woods


EU imposes import duties of up to 73.7% on cheap Chinese steel

The European Union has slapped tariffs of up to 73.7% on Chinese steel after manufacturers were forced to cut jobs due falling prices and demand for the material amid an influx of cheap imports from Asia.

Thousand of job have already been lost in the steel industry in Britain in the last year with thousands more at risk as the sector remains under pressure. Industry leaders have partly blamed the squeeze on the sector on China’s dumping of cheap steel in Europe as it struggles to find buyers for its products domestically.


EU imposes import duties of up to 73.7% on cheap Chinese steel

...wtf is your point? EU didn't set import duties on American steel.

They did on American made cars and motorcycles. Blue Jeans too. A bunch of american made stuff can't be found there because of their expensive 25%+ markups.

 

[TheOldSchool]

The one good thing about the GOP was their stances on free trade and capitalism. It’s shocking how quickly and easily they abandoned them.

From the guy who flipped from a lifetime of anti-free trade to anti-tariff because of Trump and will flip back just as fast when Trump is gone ...

Just FYI, there are a lot of anti-free trade Republicans I've argued with for years and I haven't seen the cast change on the Republican side at all. It's Democrats who are suddenly for free trade. Temporarily

I have never opposed free trade and have spoken against tariffs and subsidies as tools to improve the evonomy since the day I joined the board.

Then tell Germany, England, Japan, etc to stop taxing our shit so that we can't compete in their countries with their manufacturers of the same product. They did it first.

Why? Their tariffs hurt them more than they hurt us. That's how tariffs work. A race to the bottom. It's a major part of the reason why the EU has a lower GDP than us despite having hundreds of millions more people than us.

 

[Slyhunter]

Harley-Davidson plans to open a motorcycle assembly plant in Thailand this year, as the tariff on motorcycles assembled in the United States is about 60% in Thailand, according to the company.

You see Trumps plan is working in Thailand.

 

[TheOldSchool]

Harley-Davidson plans to open a motorcycle assembly plant in Thailand this year, as the tariff on motorcycles assembled in the United States is about 60% in Thailand, according to the company.

You see Trumps plan is working in Thailand.

It's about to get a lot worse for them with steel and aluminum costing them so much more because of Trump's tariffs and because of the retaliation against Trump's tariffs

 

[oldsoul]

Harley-Davidson plans to open a motorcycle assembly plant in Thailand this year, as the tariff on motorcycles assembled in the United States is about 60% in Thailand, according to the company.

You see Trumps plan is working in Thailand.

I'm sure that the cheap labor, and relatively loose regulatory systems in Thailand have nothing to do with it...