Trump administration is going ahead with steel and aluminum tariffs

originally posted by: japhrimu
What happens in a trade war?

Those that participate in it, use their resources fighting. Those that don't, use their resources growing and getting stronger.

If we are lucky, tit for tat goes on for a week, followed by a return to sanity.

If we are unlucky, retaliatory measures come full circle, and western hegemony collapses in front of us.

Most likely, we all adapt to the new norm, the instigator loses a ton of soft power, the world carries on not caring what our internal economies look like.

If your edit is a legitimate question, it is when countries start retaliating to one another via trade, rather then arms. Left out of control, then tend to end in real wars.

The United States has the natural resources to produce everything it needs. Not every country is in that position. Also, the massive trade deficit the U.S. currently has is not a fair situation, if being fair and equitable is actually a concern of anyone in the first place.

The U.S. is not obligated to bend over and take it from the rest of the world. Until we reduce or eliminate a 600+ billion a year trade deficit we need to try some new things.

What we are doing now works for other countries, but not for us. Why should the U.S. allow other countries to take advantage of us?

Just Trumps bid to spur a little inflation "America first"?
Or perhaps of some significant value to the rust belt states in the US?

The price of the tariff will be passed along to the consumer. This is because of lack of domestic sources for the raw materials that comprise the constitution or fundamental of the good will need to remain from non domestic sources ie. steel, solar panels, aluminum, washing machines. This is because the natural resources on domestic side are tapped out/depleted/exhausted. However, the demand for said goods by the domestic consumer remains unchanged. US domestic is not a producer of raw iron for steel or aluminum. Ergo price increases.

And if consumer demand isn't as resilient as they thought, then as Roosevelt used to say:

"try something, if it doesn't work try something else."

German response: "Eurozone united", what are the other clowns thinking?

a reply to: Metallicus

Increasing the cost of your imports is a very poor way to reduce trade imbalances...

Now, since that is your reason for why this is a good idea, why don't you explain how tariffs will fix it...or even how the trade balances got to where they are.

a reply to: Cauliflower

try something, if it doesn't work try something else

Exactly.

The status quo isn’t working and something needs to change. If Europe actually wanted to deal with the problem instead of being so greedy then maybe ther would be other options.

Their goal is to keep the current unfair situation where Amaeica gets screwed.

Why would they want to change it if they are winning?

originally posted by: peck420
a reply to: Metallicus

Increasing the cost of your imports is a very poor way to reduce trade imbalances...

Now, since that is your reason for why this is a good idea, why don't you explain how tariffs will fix it...or even how the trade balances got to where they are.

What’s your solution?

The current system is not working. Something needs to change.

Maybe this will start a dialogue.

a reply to: Metallicus

It started a dialogue alright. Not a dialogue that is good for Americans, but, hey, it started a dialogue.

If you want to build industry, you don't do it by removing competition. You do it by becoming better then the competition.

Now, why I should I offer ideas? Was i the retard that started pissing in the wind? No. Go see him for more brilliant ideas.

Are we dependent on others? If yes, do we have to be? Dependency seems to me to be the opposite of freedom.

originally posted by: japhrimu
Are we dependent on others? If yes, do we have to be? Dependency seems to me to be the opposite of freedom.

Yes, and yes.

Welcome to the modern, integrated, global supply chain.

That is the easy answer. The hard answer is that the US is currently dependent, and it will take years of dedicated focus to become independent. More years now that many of the resources required to become independent will be more expensive to obtain.

If the master plan was independence, the goal is to get the infrastructure in place prior to the tariff policies, which, if the plan is sufficient, wouldn't be required.

originally posted by: Metallicus
The United States has the natural resources to produce everything it needs.

Yet, the US aren't even in the top 5 of iron ore producing countries.

Admittedly, I'm no expert, but I personally think the US manufacturing industry thrives off cheap imports of raw materials from other countries...I also think Mr loose cannon ( AKA Trump) might have chewed more than he can shallow this time.

originally posted by: Metallicus
The United States has the natural resources to produce everything it needs. Not every country is in that position. Also, the massive trade deficit the U.S. currently has is not a fair situation, if being fair and equitable is actually a concern of anyone in the first place.

The U.S. is not obligated to bend over and take it from the rest of the world. Until we reduce or eliminate a 600+ billion a year trade deficit we need to try some new things.

What we are doing now works for other countries, but not for us. Why should the U.S. allow other countries to take advantage of us?

Its more then just cheap good from other counties but the grades of metals being made. The US doesnt make much cheap steal and aluminum but high end products that require near perfect refining.

originally posted by: Pyle

originally posted by: Metallicus
The United States has the natural resources to produce everything it needs. Not every country is in that position. Also, the massive trade deficit the U.S. currently has is not a fair situation, if being fair and equitable is actually a concern of anyone in the first place.

The U.S. is not obligated to bend over and take it from the rest of the world. Until we reduce or eliminate a 600+ billion a year trade deficit we need to try some new things.

What we are doing now works for other countries, but not for us. Why should the U.S. allow other countries to take advantage of us?

Its more then just cheap good from other counties but the grades of metals being made. The US doesnt make much cheap steal and aluminum but high end products that require near perfect refining.

No they really don't ... sorry to burst your bubble but the steel that comes from the states are made in facilities that are old and out dated. If you want top of the line high grade steel you need to go to either China or Luxembourg where they hold hostage the most advanced mills. Canada has one as well.

I will let you in on a little secret.
There's a steel processing facility here in Canada, large rolls of steel are off loaded there, made into what ever the customer wants and then shipped into the states to buyers.
Other countries didn't do this trade BS to the states, the states did it to themselves, it costs less to ship to a Canadian facility down the St Lawrence river to the great lakes then ship over than it is to ship directly to the US steel mills. It's the same story with auto makers, farmers, you name it. Now everyone has to pay the toll for runaway capitalist greed.