What is driving this trade war?

[stockhome]

Clearly trump don’t know what tariffs are. Well he does now

You don't know what grammar be.

 

[Mac1958]

OR.. better yet… why not let customers decide where their car is made? You can already buy an American car if you want. I have a Toyota 4Runner limited I love. I don’t want an American SUV. I like mine running for 13+ years.

One of the many (and the list just keeps growing) similarities we're seeing to an authoritarian regime is the regime making the country turn in on itself and becoming isolated from our former friends and allies.

And just to toss another match on the flames, we're doing this while simultaneously motivating the world to shun (and even fucking sell) our Treasuries and dry up liquidity, dropping demand and increasing yields.

I will not go conspiracy theorist here, but for fuck's sake, I can understand why someone would. This President is going out of his way to collapse our economic system, and I really do wonder why. Is this ignorance or strategy?

 

[citygator]

One of the many (and the list just keeps growing) similarities we're seeing to an authoritarian regime is the regime making the country turn in on itself and becoming isolated from our former friends and allies.

And just to toss another match on the flames, we're doing this while simultaneously motivating the world to shun (and even fucking sell) our Treasuries and dry up liquidity, dropping demand and increasing yields.

I will not go conspiracy theorist here, but for fuck's sake, I can understand why someone would. This President is going out of his way to collapse our economic system, and I really do wonder why. Is this ignorance or strategy?

The choices are not good:

1. President is uneducated and incompetent on the economy (Occam's Razor)
2. President is actively trying to destroy the US economy (conspiracy)

We are collecting less Tariffs per day currently than before he was elected because the shipments have stopped. Last year we collected about $220M per day and in Feb before he did anything we collected $260M. Now we are collecting $180M per day in tariffs.

Trump revises his claims about tariff revenue, but he’s still wrong

The AP concluded that the president’s preferred statistic is simply “false.”

Trump began raising tariffs in February. That month, about $7.247 billion in customs duties were collected, or $258.82 million per day. In March, the most recent monthly figure available, a total of about $8.168 billion in customs duties was collected, or approximately $263.48 million per day. A customs duty is a type of tariff. ... The U.S. has collected approximately $3.076 billion in customs and certain excise taxes so far this month, coming out to about $180.94 million per day, according to the Treasury Department’s data.

 

[Mac1958]

The choices are not good:

1. President is uneducated and incompetent on the economy (Occam's Razor)
2. President is actively trying to destroy the US economy (conspiracy)

We are collecting less Tariffs per day currently than before he was elected because the shipments have stopped. Last year we collected about $220M per day and in Feb before he did anything we collected $260M. Now we are collecting $180M per day in tariffs.

Trump revises his claims about tariff revenue, but he’s still wrong

The AP concluded that the president’s preferred statistic is simply “false.”

It's not difficult to identify a person who has a solid grasp of domestic/global macroeconomics -- one easy example is a studied avoidance of zero sum in an incredibly complex environment -- and I've never seen him come within a hundred miles of it.

I assume this fetish is somehow tied to victimhood, as are so many of his fixations. I don't know what the story on that is, but I suspect that's at the heart of this.

I really try to avoid conspiracy theories -- hell, I usually scoff at them -- but I have to admit I can understand why someone would wonder if he's actively trying to create damage. I can think of other situations in world history where economic desperation led to fascism.

 

[citygator]

I can think of other situations in world history where economic desperation led to fascism.

Ding-ding-ding. A distinct possibility. Although I slightly lean toward him being stupid, but maybe I underestimate him.

 

[sealybobo]

You don't know what grammar be.

Trump do know what tariffs be?

Let's face it. You guys are idiots. You gonna give Trump a gold star for trying? He fucking failed. I told you dumb fuckers that China will suffer for 10 years to beat us. We will suffer how long? 4 fucking days? All it took was the CEO of Walmart and Target to remind Trump that shelves will be empty next month if he keeps it up and KNOCK IT OFF.

And just like that, Trump has backed down. But China not so much. They might not be so over what trump did. Perhaps the trade war is on because of you dumb fuckers. How many months will you suffer for Trump? Remember how fast you went broke during the covid lockdown you dumb son of a bitch.

 

[protectionist]

The United States achieved greatness in the decades following WWII by international engagement with democratic allies and advocacy of mutually-beneficial trade and defense policies.

It is now in frenetic retreat from that undeniably successful formula.

The North Koreans and Chinese joining Russia in exploiting the consequences of the paranoidal xenophobia and isolationism that is ravaging America is commensurate with that diminution of the U.S. in global affairs.

Raving that immigrants are eating pet cats and dogs encapsulates that irrational derangement.

Clearcut brainwash. Just silly.

 

[protectionist]

Why are you talking about prices one year ago. What were prices when Trump was elected? Trump says that since he was elected prices have gone down, and they have not.

Trump said that if he was elected, the war in the Ukraine would end. It has not, and now Rubio is saying they're going to walk away from negotiations.

Trump said the price of eggs is coming down.

"U.S. egg prices increased again last month to reach a new record-high of $6.23 per dozen despite President Donald Trump’s predictions, a drop in wholesale prices and no egg farms having bird flu outbreaks.

The increase reported Thursday in the Consumer Price Index means consumers and businesses that rely on eggs might not get much immediate relief. Demand for eggs is typically elevated until after Easter, which falls on April 20."

US egg prices increase to record high, dashing hopes of cheap eggs by Easter

U.S. egg prices increased again last month to reach a new record-high of $6.23 per dozen despite President Donald Trump’s predictions.

www.scrippsnews.com

FALSE! Gas prices are now down to $2 something a gallon in 21 US states. TV set prices are waaay down now. I don't know what the preoccupation (if not hysteria) is concerning eggs, but their prices have dropped a lot, since Biden ordered the killing of thousands of chickens. 50% price decrease in 2025 (according to tradingeconomics.com)

 

[protectionist]

Trump do know what tariffs be?

Let's face it. You guys are idiots. You gonna give Trump a gold star for trying? He fucking failed. I told you dumb fuckers that China will suffer for 10 years to beat us. We will suffer how long? 4 fucking days? All it took was the CEO of Walmart and Target to remind Trump that shelves will be empty next month if he keeps it up and KNOCK IT OFF.

And just like that, Trump has backed down. But China not so much. They might not be so over what trump did. Perhaps the trade war is on because of you dumb fuckers. How many months will you suffer for Trump? Remember how fast you went broke during the covid lockdown you dumb son of a bitch.

This shows clear ignorance of the trade war scenario. 70 countries are negotiating/cooperating with Trump. China is the exception. No matter what China does, their economic dominance is over. Problem for them is they need the HUGE & lucrative US market to sustain their huge manufacturing base. US does not need them.

Losing it due to the tariffs, has their businesses collapsing left & right. China can never win a trade war with the US.

 

[protectionist]

Is intentionally crashing the stock market healthy for an economy? yes or no.

Trade balances do not have to "restored" or equal. This is a deep misunderstanding of how trade works. Trade imbalances like ours exist because we are growing faster economically and thus consuming more than smaller countries we buy from. This is normal. How on earth, would say, Vietnam ever even out the trade imbalance between our countries? Tell me.

The reason why the last five presidents never started a global trade war before is because none were the imbecile that Trump is. Why do you think he paused tariffs for 90 days, and opened up the option for "negotiations" even though his aides Lutnick and Navarro emphatically said there would be no negotiations? It's because his dumb tariffs were destabilizing our markets and we were just a mere hop and skip away from being unable to reverse course. We literally had a 2200 point crash in a span of 2 days. Something which has NEVER happened before. Even during the great recession it took a month for the Dow to reach a 1500 point drop. That's nothing to say about how he's also devaluing the dollar when countries started dumping US treasuries, something which did not happen in 2008.

The stock market is not crashing, in fact stocks across the board have been rising this week.

How countries even out their trade imbalances with the US is simple. They start having tariffs that are not greater than U S tariffs imposed on them.

Note also that since the new tariff policies, the US has been raking in immense amounts of money. 70 countries cooperating now with Trump - except China which is coming apart at the seams.

 

[protectionist]

My hatred for Trump is very extreme.

The only reason China is a threat to the United States is because the Chinese can do many things better than we can.

Except engaging in world economics. Right now their economy is falling apart. Nothing smart about that.

 

[Correll]

Trump do know what tariffs be?

Let's face it. You guys are idiots. You gonna give Trump a gold star for trying? He fucking failed. I told you dumb fuckers that China will suffer for 10 years to beat us. We will suffer how long? 4 fucking days? All it took was the CEO of Walmart and Target to remind Trump that shelves will be empty next month if he keeps it up and KNOCK IT OFF.

And just like that, Trump has backed down. But China not so much. They might not be so over what trump did. Perhaps the trade war is on because of you dumb fuckers. How many months will you suffer for Trump? Remember how fast you went broke during the covid lockdown you dumb son of a bitch.

In 10 years, china will be ashes.

 

[schmidlap]

Clearcut brainwash. Just silly.

You can believe that the United States did not rise to a preeminent position of power and prosperity by the policies it adopted following WWII if that is what your dogma demands.

Nevertheless, that is the indisputable reality.

 

[citygator]

FALSE! Gas prices are now down to $2 something a gallon in 21 US states. TV set prices are waaay down now. I don't know what the preoccupation (if not hysteria) is concerning eggs, but their prices have dropped a lot, since Biden ordered the killing of thousands of chickens. 50% price decrease in 2025 (according to tradingeconomics.com)

Fact check: Trump lies about the price of eggs, groceries and gas | CNN Politics

Trump claimed last Thursday that gas prices “hit $1.98 yesterday in a couple of states.” That wasn’t true. No state had an average gas price below $2.70 per gallon on Wednesday.

Trump claimed last Thursday and Friday that grocery prices “are down” and then claimed Tuesday that they have “come down.” False again. Average grocery prices in March were up about 0.49% from February, according to federal Consumer Price Index data, which was the biggest month-to-month jump since October 2022. Average grocery prices in March were also up about 2.41% from the previous March, the biggest year-over-year jump since August 2023.

Egg prices have spiked over the past year amid a bird flu outbreak. Trump claimed Tuesday that “as you know, the cost of eggs has come down like 93, 94% since we took office.” That is wildly inaccurate. A decline of 93% or 94% from the national average consumer cost of a dozen large Grade A eggs in January, about $4.95, would mean that eggs are now costing consumers under 38 cents per dozen. Any grocery shopper can tell you that is nowhere close to true.

 

[JohnDB]

China is still trying to save face....
They lost all cell phone production to India already....

 

[citygator]

Except engaging in world economics. Right now their economy is falling apart. Nothing smart about that.

Everyone's economy is falling apart under Trump. Trade and economic activity is plummeting. In fact, Trump misses covid so much he has set up our economy to mimick covid:

• Port volume fell below covid levels this week
• US destination travel bookings drop below covid levels
• Consumer confidence below covid levels
• Stock market decline is steeper than covid levels
• The dollar's fall is steeper than covid impact

 

[Hollie]

The choices are not good:

1. President is uneducated and incompetent on the economy (Occam's Razor)
2. President is actively trying to destroy the US economy (conspiracy)

We are collecting less Tariffs per day currently than before he was elected because the shipments have stopped. Last year we collected about $220M per day and in Feb before he did anything we collected $260M. Now we are collecting $180M per day in tariffs.

Trump revises his claims about tariff revenue, but he’s still wrong

The AP concluded that the president’s preferred statistic is simply “false.”

Oh, dear. Just charge ahead with your full conspiracy theory tirade. It's expected.

 

[citygator]

Oh, dear. Just charge ahead with your full conspiracy theory tirade. It's expected.

Maybe you dont understand Occam's razon. Means the simplest explanation is the correct answer. The simplest answer is Trump is a dumb ass.

 

[Hollie]

Maybe you dont understand Occam's razon. Means the simplest explanation is the correct answer. The simplest answer is Trump is a dumb ass.

You're simple so your abilities are thus simple.

 

[sealybobo]

In 10 years, china will be ashes.

Explain. Talk me through it. How?