Why Tariffs Are Good: The Case for Tariffs

[1srelluc]

Protect businesses and industries from what, their own inefficiencies and greed?

Suppose a Widget Factory cannot make a widget as efficiently as China, even adding in the two—or three-month delays due to Ocean Transit. How does slapping a 30% tariff on the Chinese Widget help American Widgets, Inc.?

It doesn't. Usually, a company will look at every other option before they resource that widget - including laying off staff - because resourcing stuff is kind of a pain in the ass. You have to get first article samples, get user acceptance, do all the quality and material certifications, you often have to get a team of engineers involved.

And for the American consumer, he's screwed either way. No matter where that widget comes from, he will still pay more for it.




Given all your other crazy historical theories, this one is only moderately crazy.

Here's why tariffs made the Great Depression so much worse. Because other countries didn't take the tariffs lying down. They imposed tariffs of their own on American goods. This led to the collapse of the whole international trade system, which was not nearly as robust in the 1930s as it is today.




Except Canada and Mexico entered a free trade pact with the US under NAFTA and then the USMCA. The European Union, specifically, is a Free Trade Zone, and it's the world's largest economy (Outpacing both the US and China). The UK economy has been floundering since Brexit.

I don't think any of us aspire to be Argentina or Brazil, which are economic basket cases.

I'd explain to you what China is doing right, but you'd break out into a John Birch rash. Oh, fuck it, I'll do it anyway.

While stupid ass Republicans were giving tax cuts to rich people and slashing education and poverty relief for economic prosperity that never "trickled down", the Chinese were investing in infrastructure, education, and developing enterprises. While the wealth gap in America has been increasing, China has lifted 400 million people into what we would consider the Middle Class.
This isn't an issue of "Capitalism" vs. "Communism"; the Chinese are better Capitalists than we are.

It's the difference between the efficiency of a command economy led by technocrats vs. a free-market economy led by whichever idiot can convince enough stupid people to vote for him.

So, you now support US Widgets Inc.'s exploiting of Chi-Com slave labor?

It just shows me that the dems are willing to exploit anyone as long as it furthers their "orange man bad" madness.

 

[BluesLegend]

The U.S. trade deficit is through the roof at $1.5 TRILLION a year, HELLO! Guess who the biggest offenders are? Yeah China, Mexico, Vietnam, Canada, Germany, Japan, and Ireland.

 

[sealybobo]

Nice. Making a point without making a point.

Republicans aren't that bright. If a Republican politicians starts talking negatively about regulations, suddenly Republican voters are against REGULATIONS.

But ask them specifically what regulations and they haven't a clue. Are they necessary? Important? They don't know. They just think all regulations are bad.

And today they think ALL tariffs are good. Because Trump told them it's the most beautiful word in the world.

Question. If we can buy and sell only to Americans or if we can buy and sell with the rest of the world, which way are we better off? Seems like we are going to lose more customers than we pick up doing this.

Here's another point. You can only get the kind of granite we use in our product from South Africa. Why tariff that? You can't buy that kind of granite in America. American granite is inferior.

 

[BluesLegend]

God dammit, stop drinking the goddamn bleach!!!!

Less than 1% of all Fentanyl intercepted being smuggled into the country was coming in from Canada.

Nobody believes your post is credible.

 

[sealybobo]

You're not too bright....

Do you understand what the EPA is?
Do you understand what the FDA is?
Do you understand what OSHA is?
Do you understand the NLRB is?

None of these are targeted entities because they apply to everything across the board in a blanket application. And these are only a fraction of the involved agencies.

To talk about targeted tariffs.... Vital industries.... Specific business models???

You are still wandering in the woods.

What does your post have to do with my post? Help me cause I'm not that bright. Seems like you changed the subject. What about EPA and FDA?

 

[BluesLegend]

Canada and Mexico are 27% of our total $1.5 trillion trade deficit, a record high was hit in Jan. Who thinks we can go on bleeding $1.5 trillion a year to other countries in unfair trade?

 

[JoeB131]

So, you now support US Widgets Inc.'s exploiting of Chi-Com slave labor?

It just shows me that the dems are willing to exploit anyone as long as it furthers their "orange man bad" madness.

It isn't slave labor. China's industrialization has elevated 300 million people into the middle class.

 

[hadit]

Dude, bad timing to write that nonsense.

Dow futures drop more than 1,000 points after China retaliates with tariffs on U.S. goods

Stock futures slid Friday after China imposed new tariffs on U.S. goods in retaliation to the levies announced by the White House earlier this week.

Futures tied to the blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 936 points, or 2.3%. S&P 500 futures lost 2.2%, and Nasdaq 100 futures dropped 2.4%.

China’s commerce ministry said the country will impose a 34% levy on all U.S. products. This matches the tariff on Chinese goods coming into the U.S. unveiled by President Donald Trump on Wednesday.

Bank stocks tumbled in the premarket as worries of a U.S. economic slowdown grew. Morgan Stanley dropped 5%, while Goldman Sachs shed 4.5%. Citigroup and JPMorgan Chase each slid more than 4%, while Wells Fargo dipped 5%.
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/03/stock-market-today-live-updates.html

This is how Dotard has decided he is going to Make America Wealthy Again. By causing a global recession and alienating our trading partners. If you think China will be the last country to retaliate think again.

If this is winning we need to go on a losing streak.

So now cheap carp from China will become expensive carp from China.

 

[1srelluc]

It isn't slave labor. China's industrialization has elevated 300 million people into the middle class.

Tell the Uyghurs that you dope.

 

[SeaMajor7]

Republicans aren't that bright. If a Republican politicians starts talking negatively about regulations, suddenly Republican voters are against REGULATIONS.

But ask them specifically what regulations and they haven't a clue. Are they necessary? Important? They don't know. They just think all regulations are bad.

And today they think ALL tariffs are good. Because Trump told them it's the most beautiful word in the world.

Question. If we can buy and sell only to Americans or if we can buy and sell with the rest of the world, which way are we better off? Seems like we are going to lose more customers than we pick up doing this.

Here's another point. You can only get the kind of granite we use in our product from South Africa. Why tariff that? You can't buy that kind of granite in America. American granite is inferior.

Blah
Blah
Boo-boo
Blah
YOU demented zombies are the mono-tracked minded ORANGE MAN BAD, EVERYTHING HE DOES WE OPPOSE.
Fuck off with your PROJECTION, spectrum boi.

 

[JoeB131]

Canada and Mexico are 27% of our total $1.5 trillion trade deficit, a record high was hit in Jan. Who thinks we can go on bleeding $1.5 trillion a year to other countries in unfair trade?

who says it's "unfair trade".

The problem is, I have a trade deficit with Walmart. But I get the value of the products that I buy from Walmart.

So out of a 27 Trillion GDP, 1.5 Trillion of that is excess consumption from other countries.

It's just not a big deal.

 

[JoeB131]

Tell the Uyghurs that dope.

You mean the Muslim terrorists who have bombed civilian targets in China?

We declared the Uyghurs to be a terrorist group after 9/11. We even had Uyghurs locked up in Gitmo when we caught them fighting in Afghanistan.

 

[BluesLegend]

who says it's "unfair trade".

The problem is, I have a trade deficit with Walmart. But I get the value of the products that I buy from Walmart.

So out of a 27 Trillion GDP, 1.5 Trillion of that is excess consumption from other countries.

It's just not a big deal.

Your concern for American workers and industries is, well let's be honest America would be happy if you moved the F someplace else.

 

[JoeB131]

Your concern for American workers and industries is, well let's be honest America would be happy if you moved the F someplace else.

American industries need to fix their own problems, not expect the government to keep bailing them out.

How many times has the government bailed out the auto industry?

 

[Billiejeens]

This chick sounds like President Trump

 

[Delldude]

EVEN if he causes inflation for the next two years that really takes a bite out of your income. Dummy.

You aware it was about 1.5% last time we added tarrifs?

And Biden never dropped Trump's...he even added some.

Boy, you people let the dem inspired propaganda bounce all around in your little heads.

 

[sealybobo]

You aware it was about 1.5% last time we added tarrifs?

And Biden never dropped Trump's...he even added some.

Boy, you people let the dem inspired propaganda bounce all around in your little heads.

Whatever was done before, we didn't even notice. Good for Biden and Trump. What is Trump doing now? Let's talk it out because it seems to make no sense. And it's reaking havoc.

Here is what I hope. This is just his starting point. Like when they fired everyone. Then they hire half back. Maybe they will not strategically re negotiate everything from this position. I hope so because he's got the world pissed.

I just made $ on Canada this morning. All I do is order the product they want at a 20% discount. We get 55% off. The product goes straight from the thing we are selling them to the customer. The company we buy from bills us, we bill our Canada customer, we never touch the product. NOW Trump is adding 25%? Then they are going to BUY CANADIAN.

Let me give you an example of how this thinking is dumb to blanket tariff everything. It's like blacks saying "buy from black business'" Well what happens when whites find out blacks only buy from blacks? What should white do?

 

[JWBooth]

Tariffs protect industries and businesses, especially vital industries, from unfair foreign competition. Tariffs prevent huge sums of income from leaving the U.S. America became the industrial giant of the world behind the protective walls of sky-high tariffs for decades.

No, tariffs did not cause or contribute to the Great Depression--that's an old Democrat myth that was floated by FDR and his crowd to attack Republican trade policy, and it's a myth that some Libertarians misguidedly, mistakenly repeat.

Numerous nations around the world have developed their economies by using high tariffs. Think about this: If tariffs are so bad for consumers and the economy, why do so many other nations impose tariffs, including Canada, Mexico, China, Brazil, Argentina, the European Union, Japan, India, South Korea, and Taiwan?

Some reading for further research:

Why Tariffs Are Good

The claim that tariffs are inherently misguided and inevitably harmful does not stand up to scrutiny, especially when it comes to U.S. trade with China

www.tabletmag.com

Trump's Tariffs Are About Securing America's Future

Americans should not be gaslit into having to choose between sovereignty and safety or low prices.

thefederalist.com

In a Victory for Autoworkers, Auto Tariffs Mark the Beginning of the End of NAFTA and the “Free Trade” Disaster - UAW | United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America

Days after Volkswagen, the #2 automaker in the world, announced making $20.6 billion in profit in 2024, a new UAW survey of VW workers in Chattanooga reveals the devastating financial toll of VW’s substandard U.S. health care offerings.

uaw.org

Tariffs Are The Only Way To Restore Long-Term Economic Health

To make America make things again, tariffs are the only option.

thefederalist.com

 

[Delldude]

It's like blacks saying "buy from black business'" Well what happens when whites find out blacks only buy from blacks? What should white do?

Summer of Love 2.0?

 

[Dekster]

Free Trade agreements are why there are so many economic dead zones in the US that used not to be. Now it has always seemed to me that the democrats purposefully went after lowly manufacturing jobs in red states to bolster bottom lines in blue states as a political flex, but regardless, the tariffs could be a good thing. It will take a generation to find out. I am cautiously optimistic for the next generation as I will be retired before we really know for certain.