Will tariffs make America great?

[Random]

Fortunately, the Dow is not all there is to the US economy. There's plenty of other indicators of fiscal health heading south to be ignored by the Trump administration.

Yeah, but the big line going down is pretty much the only negative economic indicator the rich and powerful who donate to the politicians pay attention to.

High unemployment? I don't make money by working. Low wages? I don't make money by working. High inflation? Eh, stock prices will go up as well usually, so no biggie. Housing prices becoming unaffordable for most Americans? Great! New investment opportunities! Millions of Americans losing their healthcare? How am I supposed to make money off my health insurance stock if we treat a bunch of poor sick people?

Big line goes down? GET MY PET CONGRESSMAN ON THE PHONE RIGHT NOW!

 

[dirtywick]

Quite seriously why would any country put any kind of real effort into negotiating any kind of tariff (or indeed any kind of) deal with the USA, the USA is not a reliable country, any deal at any time is down to the whims of their mentally ill president? To use a USA expression blow some smoke up his speaking orifice and batten down the hatches for the next three and a half years.

most likely what’s happening. reducing the tariff rate as much as possible for as long as possible is better for their country’s economies even if they have to eat a little ◊◊◊◊. it takes time to find alternatives, the us economy is heavily intertwined into almost every country on earth that’s not already heavily sanctioned, and the absolute biggest factor is the dollar is the worlds reserve currency.

when the us theatens economic sanctions, they also threaten any other nations banks dealing with the banks being sanctioned. look at venezuela or iran, the world found alternatives rather than risk being lumped in with them.

simple fact is there’s only so much they can do at the present. it’ll take decades to decouple themselves if they even really want to pursue that long term. another more appealing option is to appease and wait it out.

 

[Norman Alexander]

most likely what’s happening. reducing the tariff rate as much as possible for as long as possible is better for their country’s economies even if they have to eat a little ◊◊◊◊. it takes time to find alternatives, the us economy is heavily intertwined into almost every country on earth that’s not already heavily sanctioned, and the absolute biggest factor is the dollar is the worlds reserve currency.

when the us theatens economic sanctions, they also threaten any other nations banks dealing with the banks being sanctioned. look at venezuela or iran, the world found alternatives rather than risk being lumped in with them.

simple fact is there’s only so much they can do at the present. it’ll take decades to decouple themselves if they even really want to pursue that long term. another more appealing option is to appease and wait it out.

I dunno. There's been LOTS of urgent talks between countries re trade that have not included the USA at all. Trump...well, Vought, Miller and co....want the USA to be a Hermit Kingdom just like the DPRK. So other countries are actively decoupling from the USA as we speak, granting them their wishes, and striking their own alternative trade deals on various commodities that don't include Trump. Canada, Mexico and the EU have done so already. Also China and Brazil.

Trump can threaten sanctions if he likes. If nobody is trading with the USA, that's just him standing on the porch shouting at passing traffic.

 

[dirtywick]

still, it will take a lot of time and bottom line is the world still needs a more appealing alternative reserve currency to the dollar, and they haven’t found one.

 

[Jack by the hedge]

still, it will take a lot of time and bottom line is the world still needs a more appealing alternative reserve currency to the dollar, and they haven’t found one.

Trump threatened the BRICS nations with even more tariffic tariffs if they pursued the idea of starting a shared currency, equivalent to the Euro. So that's where he thinks the threat is.

 

[Norman Alexander]

I suggest it is safe to say that Donny personally knows ◊◊◊◊-all about international trade. Not a thing. He is likely parroting what his handlers tell or show him. And they are scruple-free manipulative liars.

 

[dirtywick]

Trump threatened the BRICS nations with even more tariffic tariffs if they pursued the idea of starting a shared currency, equivalent to the Euro. So that's where he thinks the threat is.

well it would be significant if it gained traction. i think a lot of counties might have a problem leaving monetary policy of a reserve currency in the hands of russia and china.

of course if trump continues to get his way on everything the rest of the world may have serious concerns about the dollar as well.

of course there’s always crypto

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/russia-leans-cryptocurrencies-oil-trade-sources-say-2025-03-14/

 

[a_unique_person]

Trump threatened the BRICS nations with even more tariffic tariffs if they pursued the idea of starting a shared currency, equivalent to the Euro. So that's where he thinks the threat is.

The first global fascist. He intends to control the global economy even where the USA is not a party.

 

[Norman Alexander]

The first global fascist. He intends to control the global economy even where the USA is not a party.

Trump doesn't see countries. He just sees friends and enemies, and opportunities to cheat them.

 

[Andy_Ross]

He seems victims and enemies

 

[arthwollipot]

He sees people he can use, and enemies.

 

[Armitage72]

He sees people he can use, and enemies.

More likely "person-shaped objects he can use".
I have no doubt he sees himself as the only real person in the world.

 

[Regnad Kcin]

The first global fascist. He intends to control the global economy even where the USA is not a party.

Well, of course! After all, everybody's been ripping us off! And laughing at us! Ripping and laughing, laughing and ripping!

No one Everyone expected the Trump inquisition!

 

[William Parcher]

Dow +585 at closing.

 

[Hercules Rockefeller]

If I understand correctly, a car made in the EU will get hit with a flat 15% tariff, but an American made is subject to different ones for each part, depending on country of origin? Additional tariffs will also be added to any part that has to leave the US during the manufacturing process?

 

[Norman Alexander]

If I understand correctly, a car made in the EU will get hit with a flat 15% tariff, but an American made is subject to different ones for each part, depending on country of origin? Additional tariffs will also be added to any part that has to leave the US during the manufacturing process?

Duuuuuuh......haven't thought that part out, akshully......

 

[Lukraak_Sisser]

Looking at Dutch news, the companies most hit by the tariffs tend to be looking at moving their market out of the US, not moving their production to the US.
I guess it's a win?

 

[The Great Zaganza]

It's the Corporate America Logic that if you fire enough people, you can make profit without revenue.

 

[Puppycow]

Some confusion in Japan over exactly what the new tariffs mean.

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20250807_03/

US says Japan has no tariff stacking relief for 15% rate - The Mainichi

WASHINGTON (Kyodo) -- U.S. President Donald Trump's country-specific tariffs took effect on Thursday, with a White House official saying that Japanese

mainichi.jp

WASHINGTON (Kyodo) -- U.S. President Donald Trump's country-specific tariffs took effect on Thursday, with a White House official saying that Japanese imports will not be given special treatment as Tokyo had believed under a recent bilateral trade deal.
In clear contrast to the Japanese government's explanation of the terms of the trade deal, the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the Trump administration's 15 percent tariff rate for Japan will stack on top of pre-existing duty rates applied to imports from the key U.S. ally, unlike in the case of the European Union.

Kyodo is quoting a White House official who spoke on condition of anonymity, so it isn't clear. But there was supposed to be a bilateral agreement and what the Japanese government is saying was agreed to differs from I guess what this official is saying. I'm not a huge fan of relying on anonymous sources for information like this.
Exacerbating the problem is that there there doesn't seem to be a written agreement.

Given the absence of a written agreement between Japan and the United States, Japanese opposition lawmakers have accused the government of failing to minimize the risk of differing interpretations of tariff implementation between the two countries.
Japan's chief tariff negotiator Ryosei Akazawa arrived in Washington on Tuesday night to ensure the United States honors the terms of the bilateral deal.
Akazawa has repeatedly said he confirmed with the United States that there were "no discrepancies" in their understanding of the verbal accord between the two countries.

A "verbal accord" rather than anything written down on paper. Sorry, but that seems very foolish to me. They should have asked for it in writing.

 

[The Don]

Some confusion in Japan over exactly what the new tariffs mean.

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20250807_03/

US says Japan has no tariff stacking relief for 15% rate - The Mainichi

WASHINGTON (Kyodo) -- U.S. President Donald Trump's country-specific tariffs took effect on Thursday, with a White House official saying that Japanese

mainichi.jp

Kyodo is quoting a White House official who spoke on condition of anonymity, so it isn't clear. But there was supposed to be a bilateral agreement and what the Japanese government is saying was agreed to differs from I guess what this official is saying. I'm not a huge fan of relying on anonymous sources for information like this.
Exacerbating the problem is that there there doesn't seem to be a written agreement.

A "verbal accord" rather than anything written down on paper. Sorry, but that seems very foolish to me. They should have asked for it in writing.

I don't see that it makes any difference given how readily Trump and his administration are to abandon any deal they don't happen to like the terms of.