Steel Tarriff

[Mik]

Half his presidency has been buying votes.

[George K]

@Mik said in Steel Tarriff:

buying votes.

Did you see the story about the NGO in Mexico, urging migrants to vote for Biden?

[LuFins Dad]

I’m old enough to remember when extra tariffs on Chinese goods would lead to a trade war that the US could never win, and wanting to do so was Indicative of being a foolish and feckless man with tiny hands that would destroy us all.

[Jolly]

@LuFins-Dad said in Steel Tarriff:

I’m old enough to remember when extra tariffs on Chinese goods would lead to a trade war that the US could never win, and wanting to do so was Indicative of being a foolish and feckless man with tiny hands that would destroy us all.

Gee, you're old!

[Copper]

The Chinese steel industry missed their payment to Hunter.

They'll fork it over eventually.

[George K]

Iowa Tarrifs ≠ Pennsylvania Tarrifs

[George K]

[LuFins Dad]

Racist

[taiwan_girl]

What do you want to bet that President Trump will come out with some statement AGAINST the tariffs on China? LOL

[Mik]

If it weren’t for hypocrisy….

[Jolly]

@taiwan_girl said in Steel Tarriff:

What do you want to bet that President Trump will come out with some statement AGAINST the tariffs on China? LOL

I'd be surprised...

[taiwan_girl]

@Jolly I wouldn't. In politics, it seems like you have to take the opposite side of the "other guy" regardless.

[jon-nyc]

@Jolly said in Steel Tarriff:

@taiwan_girl said in Steel Tarriff:

What do you want to bet that President Trump will come out with some statement AGAINST the tariffs on China? LOL

I'd be surprised...

Two words: Tik Tok.

[Jolly]

One word.

No.

[jon-nyc]

Whatever. He changed his tune 180 degrees.

Remember when he campaigned on negotiating drug prices (saying the government was a chump for not doing so) until he got rolled by the very first lobbyist that met with him after the election?

Do you remember how he was for wealth taxes before he was against them?

Do you remember him denying ever supporting the Iraq war even while the interviewer was playing clips of him giving his full throated support?

The guy has principles, but they all have to do with himself. Not policy.

[Jolly]

Now, do Biden.

[taiwan_girl]

@Jolly said in Steel Tarriff:

Now, do Biden.

Exactly. That proves the point. Doesnt matter which side, your positions will change, often becuase you want to oppose the other side.

[Jolly]

@taiwan_girl said in Steel Tarriff:

@Jolly said in Steel Tarriff:

Now, do Biden.

Exactly. That proves the point. Doesnt matter which side, your positions will change, often becuase you want to oppose the other side.

Not always.

Positions change as situations change. As people change. As politics change.

Personally, I look at steel, pharmaceuticals, energy and computers as strategic resources to be protected if necessary.

[Axtremus]

@Jolly said in Steel Tarriff:

Positions change as situations change. As people change. As politics change.

Personally, I look at steel, pharmaceuticals, energy and computers as strategic resources to be protected if necessary.

Economic Nobel laureate Dr. Paul Krugman on Biden's new/enhanced tariffs on mainland China's imports:

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/14/opinion/china-imports-tariffs-biden.html?unlocked_article_code=1.sE0.uMXh.G0cgOkK7obrP

Whatever the ideology or strategy behind China’s refusal to increase consumer spending, the only way out given that refusal is to run giant trade surpluses, dumping the stuff China produces but can’t or won’t consume in other countries’ markets.
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But what the Biden administration is basically saying is: No, you don’t get to do that. You’re too big a player in the world economy to dump the results of your policy failures in other countries’ laps.
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Why can’t the United States just accept cheap goods from China? The concerns about community disruption caused by the first China shock still apply. But there’s also a new issue: climate change. The goods being subjected to new or increased tariffs are mainly products associated with the transition to green energy; electric vehicles have been getting the most press, but giant batteries — which are now starting to play a crucial role in solving the problem of renewable energy intermittence (the sun doesn’t always shine, the wind doesn’t always blow) — are an even bigger deal.
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Why not just buy cheap Chinese batteries? Political economy. Given the existential threat posed by climate change, the political coalition behind the green energy transition shouldn’t be fragile, but it is. The Biden administration was able to get large subsidies for renewable energy only by tying those subsidies to the creation of domestic manufacturing jobs. If those subsidies are seen as creating jobs in China instead, our last, best hope of avoiding climate catastrophe will be lost — a consideration that easily outweighs all the usual arguments against tariffs.
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So in imposing these new tariffs, Biden’s people are doing what they must. I don’t see any alternative.

[taiwan_girl]

@Jolly said in Steel Tarriff:

Personally, I look at steel, pharmaceuticals, energy and computers as strategic resources to be protected if necessary.

So, you must be quite happy with President Bidens strategies in these areas:

Steel - increased tariffs
Energy - highest oil production ever, net exporter of oil, increasing solar and wind (which reduces dependency on other (foreign) sources)
Computers - CHIP act, etc.