Trump is doing the right thing placing tariffs on Chinese imports - but people should not forget it’s a weapon - a retaliation against aggressive and offensive trade tactics China has employed against us for years.
It’s a war that China started and we have to fight back. Tariffs are the only way to fight back. It’s long overdue and I’m glad Trump has the balls to do it.
But there’s a danger in exaggerating the benifits of tariffs and minimizing the detrimental effect. People, especially Trump supporters should manage their expectations and brace themselves for a tough time if we are drawn further into a trade war.
US prices will go up immediately, but US production capacity, US jobs and improved terms with and access to foriegn markets, and other benifits of fair trade will not materialize right away.
War is Hell, even trade war, and most benifits to the winner aren’t realized until after the war is won.
I’m for the tariffs but people shouldn’t expect the economy to be stronger in the short run. They’ll just be disappointed.
A nicely articulated statement. ( and you obviously know going down this road can be dangerous, and the unintended consequence’s are numerous.)
I would just add for clarity:
Tariff’s are nothing but sales-taxes on purchases of specified imported goods.
China doesn’t pay the Tariffs, we do. And the money goes into the Federal Treasury to be squandered.
And just on a personal note, I’m happy to give the Chinese my fiat paper money, for actual hard goods.