Does the US actually have a "trade imbalance"?

[j-mac]

I think we already do that.

Except you’d be wrong.

Trump really doesn't know very much. He has an opinion on many things but that's about it. If you don't read, then you can't know and Trump doesn't read.

You don’t have the first clue what Trump knows, or doesn’t know. Just another useless troll from you, a know nothing….

 

[BluesLegend]

Does the US actually have a "trade imbalance"?​

The Biden/Dem trade deficit was $1.2 TRILLION you fool, next question.

 

[Dorian Mode]

In my opinion, that most important problem is that we should not have allowed our production to be outsourced offshore.
The problem is that we do not make TVs, cellphones, computers, etc., in the US any more.
The only point of tariffs is to use them as a theoretical threat.
You threaten companies that if they leave the US to produce with cheaper labor, then they won't be allowed free access to our markets any more when they want to sell their products. Otherwise, tariffs are really bad for everyone.
So what Trump has to do is first get new production companies started in the US.
And only then impose tariffs.

Bingo! People just love to argue and only scratch the surface of very complicated problems. This most likely has nothing to do with tariffs and more with preparing America for the inevitable war with China. American production of arms during WWII was a key factor in winning that sustained war. Today, how is it's manufacturing sector should America find itself in a sustained war with China? China will be able to survive a long term war with the US. Will the US? America is no longer self sufficient to protect itself without having to resort to nuclear weapons.

 

[expat_panama]

The Biden/Dem trade deficit was $1.2 TRILLION you fool, next question.

There are some folks who'd read that and think you mean that sometime during the past 4 years, a ship w/ $1.2T of U.S. citizens money went out into the ocean and gave away the money.

OK, so you don't mean that. Question: what do you mean --iow where did the money come from, was the money lost w/o compensation, and how was it given away, who received it?

If you don't know then that's fine. Like, there's lots of things I don't know. It's just that when I don't know something I don't make up numbers to tell others.

 

[Nuthin' Fancy]

Does the US actually have a "trade imbalance"?​

Of course they do. the US is an import country.

I have a "trade" imbalance with my grocery store.

Exactly HOW can I impose "Tariffs" on them?

 

[expat_panama]

Does the US actually have a "trade imbalance"?​

Of course they do. the US is an import country.

I have a "trade" imbalance with my grocery store.

Exactly HOW can I impose "Tariffs" on them?

Naturally there's more to it than that.

W/ the international balance of payments we've not only got purchases but on top of that there're exchange rates --like if the grocer only accepted "store money" for purchases and somewhere you had to exchange your employment money for store money. Then what would happen is that the grocery store would end up w/ an excess of employment dollars and to unload them he'd have to say, buy out your home mortgage, and that would lower your mortgage interest.

w/ international payments we got payments for goods'n'services (trade balance) and on top of that we got payments or capital (capital balance). Generally the two roughly balance each other out --if not then we got a big shift in exchange rates.

 

[Nuthin' Fancy]

Naturally there's more to it than that.

W/ the international balance of payments we've not only got purchases but on top of that there're exchange rates --like if the grocer only accepted "store money" for purchases and somewhere you had to exchange your employment money for store money. Then what would happen is that the grocery store would end up w/ an excess of employment dollars and to unload them he'd have to say, buy out your home mortgage, and that would lower your mortgage interest.

w/ international payments we got payments for goods'n'services (trade balance) and on top of that we got payments or capital (capital balance). Generally the two roughly balance each other out --if not then we got a big shift in exchange rates.

I still stand by my statement.
I'm not disagreeing with yours.

All the other countries have the same issue with "Store" $$$ and exchange rates.

 

[Mac1958]

And China keeps moving in, right under our noses, while we're in a trade war with the world.

No excuse for this.

China, Brazil agree to defend free trade as leaders meet in Beijing

 

[expat_panama]

I still stand by my statement.
I'm not disagreeing with yours.

All the other countries have the same issue with "Store" $$$ and exchange rates.

Agreed, neither of us is disagreeing w/ the other. What I was doing as adding to your correct statement w/ additional info.

 

[sealybobo]

So, we can see by looking at the chart below that the US imports far, far more than it exports to some countries.

US Trade Deficit by Country 2026

Comprehensive data on the US trade deficit by country, providing detailed information on imports, exports, trade balance, and total trade values.

worldpopulationreview.com

However there are plenty of countries, like the UK, Australia, Hong Kong etc which import more from the US than export. Though I'm sure different charts will show different figures.

The U.S. Trade Balance with Every Country | The Motley Fool

The latest data on the U.S. trade in goods surplus and deficits by country.

www.fool.com

This one however suggests Australia and the UK again are actually on the unfair side of things. Which asks the question why Trump said the UK do bad things, and why he put a 10% tariff on the UK.

The problem however with trade imbalances is this. Say for example the Dutch and the British, they have lots of big companies, like Shell. Shell is on the stock market, it's primarily a Dutch and UK company, however I'm sure lots of Americans benefit from Shell's profits, they might own Shell shares and thus make money

So when Shell export things to the US, it's not a simple case of "the US is paying this and adding to a trade deficit" because money is also entering the US.

The US is a wealthy country with lots of wealthy individuals who own lots of shares.

The wealthiest 10% of Americans own 93% of stocks even with market participation at a record high

America's richest have never owned so much of the country's stock market, according to Federal Reserve data.

markets.businessinsider.com

"The wealthiest 10% of Americans own 93% of stocks even with market participation at a record high"

So this article suggests that the vast majority of US shares are owned by Americans, and by the richest 10%.

This suggests that the US actually benefits from a "trade imbalance", it makes money from "losing money".....

Trump is playing "victim politics". Like with Brexit in the UK, like with the AfD in Germany, like with le Penn in France and many, many others. They know that shouting "you're the victim, vote me, I'll sort it out" gets many votes from people with questionable intelligence. The problem here is their solutions are often based on misinformation or just pure stupidity.

We have a trade imbalance with other countries the same way you have a trade imbalance with your barber. Every month you spend money with your barber and he never spends any money with you. It's not fair right?

 

[SweetTea]

We have a trade imbalance with other countries the same way you have a trade imbalance with your barber. Every month you spend money with your barber and he never spends any money with you. It's not fair right?

That may make sense on a personal level, but can we really compare national trade to personal services? A barber doesn't accumulate foreign currency reserves or manipulate exchange rates. Nations can, and those dynamics might make trade imbalances more complex than just a one-way service exchange.

Trade imbalances between nations can lead to job losses, industrial decline, and strategic dependencies. These aren't really things that happen when someone pays their barber. The implications for an economy are much broader than a one-way exchange of money for services.

 

[sealybobo]

That may make sense on a personal level, but can we really compare national trade to personal services? A barber doesn't accumulate foreign currency reserves or manipulate exchange rates. Nations can, and those dynamics might make trade imbalances more complex than just a one-way service exchange.

Trade imbalances between nations can lead to job losses, industrial decline, and strategic dependencies. These aren't really things that happen when someone pays their barber. The implications for an economy are much broader than a one-way exchange of money for services.

Listen. We have the consumers baby! Of course we buy more from them than they do from us. How are poor chinese people going to buy the expensive shit we make? How and why? Because we make them?

Hey, if someone is cheating, **** them. I agree. Deal with China. Stop doing business with them. But Brazil?

And on things we don't want to depend on others? Tariff the shit out of those. Bring THOSE jobs back home.

Lastly. Isn't it weird you guys are behind GOVERNMENT getting this involved in our supposed unregulated free market capitalism? Doesn't that make you socialists? I know it would make Kamala a socialist if she were this involved in our corporations lives.

At least now you realize government does play an important role in economics. They are the referees of the game. Without rules we have chaos.

Actually, one more thing. Trump is forcing countries to make pledges to buy more US goods. Isn't that up to the corporations and consumers in those countries? So those countries can pledge all they want. Doesn't mean it's going to happen. They are seeking out other trading partners. This just bought them time. Trump threatens them. Do you like to do business with people who threaten you? Neither does Japan and that's why they are looking to do more business with China. Japan hates China. But they hate Trump more.

 

[frigidweirdo]

We have a trade imbalance with other countries the same way you have a trade imbalance with your barber. Every month you spend money with your barber and he never spends any money with you. It's not fair right?

The problem is the statistics don't really tell you the full story.

Take a company, registered in a foreign company, makes money trading between the US and other countries. That's other countries making money. However many of the shareholders might be American, or American companies.

What you're being told isn't what is.

 

[sealybobo]

The problem is the statistics don't really tell you the full story.

Take a company, registered in a foreign company, makes money trading between the US and other countries. That's other countries making money. However many of the shareholders might be American, or American companies.

What you're being told isn't what is.

Oh I agree. What we are being told is bullshit. Trump ain't trying to bring jobs home. That's bullshit.

And companies already wanted to come home. Why give them tax breaks to come back?

A lot of those jobs will be automated.

We will never bring Iphone manufacturing to the USA.

It's all bullshit. This person told Trump last week how he's killing his business and all Trump would tell him was that he's not seeing the big picture.

Trump touts the big picture. Do you buy it? You think Trump's going to bring high paying manufacturing jobs for the deplorables who lost their high paying union jobs in the 2000's? It's a joke.

 

[berg80]

Actuality is not the point here, it has no bearing.
The point is personal power wielded for pleasure and profit.

Dotard has long believed in tariffs and no amount of data proving the damage they do will convince him he is wrong. His enormous, unjustified ego won't allow for the possibility he is wrong about anything. Including his spray tan, orange makeup, and the dead squirrel he wears on his head.

 

[frigidweirdo]

Oh I agree. What we are being told is bullshit. Trump ain't trying to bring jobs home. That's bullshit.

And companies already wanted to come home. Why give them tax breaks to come back?

A lot of those jobs will be automated.

We will never bring Iphone manufacturing to the USA.

It's all bullshit. This person told Trump last week how he's killing his business and all Trump would tell him was that he's not seeing the big picture.

Trump touts the big picture. Do you buy it? You think Trump's going to bring high paying manufacturing jobs for the deplorables who lost their high paying union jobs in the 2000's? It's a joke.

Well, if I was looking for decent conversation, it's not going to be here.

I can't be bothered if you're going to talk like that. Bye.

 

[sealybobo]

Well, if I was looking for decent conversation, it's not going to be here.

I can't be bothered if you're going to talk like that. Bye.

Yea, I can't take any MAGA idiots like you seriously. I post example after example of Trump lies and bullshit and nothing moves you NAZI like idiots. You've bought in and I know I'm not going to change your mind. So bugger off.

How about Trump's going to take on crime in DC. Yea, after crime dropped 35% from 2023-2024 and dropped another 26% from 2024-2025. That's 61% crime dropped in DC the two years before Trump got into office.

I know. If Trump was president it would have dropped 2000 percent. Just like he's going to lower drug prices 1000%. Don't you even care that's impossible and yet he said it? OF course you don't care. You're in a cult and he's your cult leader.

 

[Toddsterpatriot]

How about Trump's going to take on crime in DC. Yea, after crime dropped 35% from 2023-2024 and dropped another 26% from 2024-2025. That's 61% crime dropped in DC the two years before Trump got into office.

Liberal bad math.

Almost as bad as left-wing lies about crime reporting.

 

[sealybobo]

Liberal bad math.

Almost as bad as left-wing lies about crime reporting.

Yes yes I remember the Bush years when you guys said the economy was great then too. Was it?

You're such bad liars but hey, you got Bush and Trump both re elected. You had to cheat twice to get Bush re elected. And I'm sure you will be rigging 2026 and 2028. We already know you are rigging next years midterms.

But hey, I'll be doing great financially if you hold on to power by winning. Right? So even if/when Republicans don't count our votes, you'll still be winning right? Yea right. Until you wake up and realize you've been duped. It'll be too late then. Just like in Russia. I bet 25% of Russians voted for Putin yet he won 95% of the vote. Just as bad as Trump's math. And anyone who tells the truth gets fired so don't expect any decenters. It'll all be great until you don't like it anymore and by that point nothing you can do about it either. Will you join our side then or will you remain a Trump supporter just like the 25% who still honestly support Putin?

 

[Toddsterpatriot]

Yes yes I remember the Bush years when you guys said the economy was great then too. Was it?

You're such bad liars but hey, you got Bush and Trump both re elected. You had to cheat twice to get Bush re elected. And I'm sure you will be rigging 2026 and 2028. We already know you are rigging next years midterms.

But hey, I'll be doing great financially if you hold on to power by winning. Right? So even if/when Republicans don't count our votes, you'll still be winning right? Yea right. Until you wake up and realize you've been duped. It'll be too late then. Just like in Russia. I bet 25% of Russians voted for Putin yet he won 95% of the vote. Just as bad as Trump's math. And anyone who tells the truth gets fired so don't expect any decenters. It'll all be great until you don't like it anymore and by that point nothing you can do about it either. Will you join our side then or will you remain a Trump supporter just like the 25% who still honestly support Putin?

Your arguments are very convincing.
And your math still sucks.

Tell me again, how does a 35% drop one year and a 26% drop the next year
total up to a 61% decrease?