Okay, let's look at it line SANE people.
Mexico,, like Canada, has been very good trade partners. Yes, they can be better. And yes, Tariffs are part of making it better. But blanket Tariffs are just plain stupid.
Now, let's look at some of the things we export to Mexico. How about food. We are a major food exporter to Mexico. One would think by the amount of news covering the food coming into the US from Mexico that they would be sending in more food to the US than we are to them but it's the other way around. One reason for this is, unlike most of the world, the US consistently has a high crop yield and a huge surplus.
We can out produce and produce for less than any other nation food in the form of Grains and Veggies overall. The US, alone, has the capacity to feed the entire world and end starvation if it were pushed to the limits. Other countries may be able, in a short period, be able to feed themselves and have exports but in the long run, they will run short sooner or later. Brazil is one Nation that can step in when the US is taken out of the equation. They can't do it on a long term basis and that is exactly what is happening. So the US has to be very careful about placing tariffs on food products we export.
One would think Mexico exports more Machine Parts to the US than the Us does to Mexico. That would be false. The US exports more to Mexico. Mexico may assemble items to be shipped back to the US but the bulk of the machine parts are from the US. It takes more skilled labor to produce the parts than it does the finished product. The Skilled Labor is what the US has over most of the world. But Mexico has made great strides in trying to make up for that gap. But not all areas are in the US's favor and we probably could use some specific Tariffs to make up for the fact that the parts to make many of the finished products that are being shipped back to the US from Mexico are being now made in Mexico or the parts are being shipped to the US to be used in assembly here. Selective Tariffs are good.
The US is a major Energy Exporter to Mexico. We ship more energy to Mexico than they ship to us. The last thing we want to do is to place a tariff on the Energy Mexico sends to the US.
Right now, China is watching and as long as Trump wants to place a Blanket Tariff or even hint at it, China isn't going to budge. Why should they. They know that within 6 months, the US will be a complete disaster right up there with 1929. Oh, it won't be as bad since the only difference between that recession and a full blown depression is panic and the panic just won't allowed to be there. But the same conditions will occur when the loss of jobs start happening. It's already happening but it's just not being reported as of yet. The second the reports start happening the panic starts and it becomes 1929 all over again. So China does nothing and just rides the storm out.
Actually, I agree with penalizing Mexico for their trade practices and their immigration practices. But we need to separate the two from each other.
For the Trade Imbalance, use Tariffs. But also reward the companies that stay in the US and also return to the US in the form of Tax Breaks while penalizing those that are outside the US bounderies. But only those companies that can easily be located in the US which would preclude bananas and other products we can't readily produce in the US. Also, those companies that use what is equal to slave labor to produce their products. We should be doing that for ALL of the world, not just Mexico.
As for Immigration, we need to change how we operate on the border. This is going to sound mean. If someone is bagged on the border, they are put on a bus and taken right back across the border and turn loose on the Mexican side. No help for them, nothing. Don't feed them, don't give the Medical, nothing. It's Mexicos problem. If they immigrants went access to the US have them go through the normal channels to get there. If not, it's Mexicos problem. What would Mexico do if there were hundreds of thousands of refugees inside their own borders instead of hundreds. Boost the number of Border Agents and Electronic devices. Plus the transportation vehicles to handle the load. Don't just hang onto them. Transport them just as soon as you get a busload. If Mexico blocks them, take them just outside of where the Mexicans are blocking them and dump them off at the border and have them walk into Mexico. Us Teargas and Smoke if they try and return. You don't have to shoot them unless they attack with weapons. Since they didn't have weapons in the first place, tear gas and smoke will do the job. But make it Mexicos problem and let them deal with it.
