Tariffs Are Behind Skyrocketing Lumber Prices

American Spectator ^ | 2 Aug 2017 | Andrew Wilford

[roadcat]

I was just pricing lumber for a new deck at Home Depot last week. 16 foot 6x6 posts, $44, that sounded pretty cheap to me.

Yes, but was it made in China? Recently I needed some 3/4 inch premium finished plywood, the worker at Home Depot helped me in getting some sheets, and he told me he was amazed that it was $24 a sheet, because they were previously selling for $40 a sheet. The new $24 stuff was made in China.

[central_va]

Oh BS. The amount of labor per engine is tiny, even if made in the USA. I watched a U-tube video on how engine blocks are made. It is almost an entirely automated process with very few human interactions. Squeezing every tiny fraction of a penny to save labor by off shoring is killing the USA when most processes are automatized anyway.

Free Republic has outed some real hypocrites. They tell us reduce taxes and regulations and manufacturing will come back. It isn't true they don't want that. WI did that to get Foxconn to come back and many here were "disgusted" that the state gave them a tax break.. All of you Free Traitors™ can KMA.

[Axenolith]

A) I'm not a "free traitor", slow down and parse my shit and lighten up on the attitude.

B) Try to maintain some logical consistency. The following statement by you:

Squeezing every tiny fraction of a penny to save labor by off shoring is killing the USA when most processes are automatized anyway.

Which is it? Is squeezing every penny by offshoring or automation killing the USA?

[central_va]

The reason factories are off shored is to save labor costs. It makes no sense to create massive unemployment by offshoring a factory to the third world and then automate it over there. Just keep the factory here and automate it. It still produces some jobs and keeps production in the USA which is national security strategic concern as well as an economic one.

But how do you stop offshoring? Simple. A tariff which protects US industry and produce non income tax revenue. Win-win.

If you believe in automation then having the factories here, with the higher labor cost associated with US labor, would be huge incentive to automate. When you have peasant that will work for $2.00/hr(or less) there is less reason to automate.

[Soul of the South]

“There is no substitute for a tariff. Especially when every other country applies then to our exports.”

Not only do other countries use tariffs they employ non-tariff barriers (costly inspections, special labeling, product modifications). Many also subsidize exports with discounted loans for capital spending, tax relief, and export rebates.

I was disappointed the GOP Congress caved on the border adjustment tax.

[dhouston]

U.S. Department of Commerce Finds Dumping and Subsidization of Imports of Softwood Lumber from Canada

https://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2017/11/us-department-commerce-finds-dumping-and-subsidization-imports-softwood