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Chips Loom as a Target If Trade Dispute Expands
Barron's ^ | April 28, 2018 | Tiernan Ray

Posted on 04/28/2018 4:40:54 AM PDT by reaganaut1

Rumors out of Washington these days regarding technology boggle the mind, with the unthinkable sounding more and more possible at a time of intense rhetoric: A ban by the Trump administration on all sales of computer chips by U.S. companies to China.

Under legislation known as the International Economic Emergency Powers Act, or IEEPA, instituted during the Iranian hostage crisis, the executive branch can place quotas on U.S. goods, and restrict what can be sold, in order to sanction a target country on national security grounds.

Computer chips are a tremendous area of leverage for the U.S. on the global stage, especially given China’s poorly developed semiconductor efforts. Chips could be the big stick that Trump reaches for next to punish China.

The prospect of a ban could create some very bad headlines for U.S. chip companies, even if things are settled through negotiations. More importantly, China, already fearful of its reliance on U.S. chips, may redouble its efforts to cultivate a home-grown industry. “When I talk to trade experts around D.C., the No. 1–used word is unprecedented,” says Ed Mills, a Washington-based policy analyst at Raymond James. Mills believes a broad ban is increasingly possible.

What Mills views as unprecedented is the use of IEEPA for trade purposes. “The administration has extended the definition of national security to one of economic security, of not letting our technology secrets out,” says Mary Lovely, a senior fellow with the Peterson Institute.

Neither the Treasury Department nor the Commerce Department, which often implement trade restrictions, responded to requests for comment on these issues.

The chip industry has had enough unexpected encounters with regulation this year to make a ban on chip sales conceivable.

(Excerpt) Read more at barrons.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: cfiu; china; trade
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You don't help American exporters or their workers but shutting them out of big markets.
1 posted on 04/28/2018 4:40:55 AM PDT by reaganaut1
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To: reaganaut1
“The administration has extended the definition of national security to one of economic security, of not letting our technology secrets out,” says Mary Lovely, a senior fellow with the Peterson Institute.

Keeping a close hold on advanced technology has *always* been a matter of national security. Furthermore, national security and economic security are very closely entwined.

China has a long history of reverse engineering our technology and stealing intellectual property. Our trade war with them has been going on for decades. These idiots who are busy getting the vapors over the Trump administration efforts to fight back don't seem to realize that the decades of buying cheap knock-offs from China have been damaging our economy. Shuttering manufacturing plants and putting people out of work so that we can buy cheap gadgets made using slave labor does *not* help the country.

Thank God for President Trump.

2 posted on 04/28/2018 4:54:04 AM PDT by exDemMom (Current visual of the hole the US continues to dig itself into: http://www.usdebtclock.org/)
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To: reaganaut1

This is very risky.
Most computers including Apple are built in China.
Most Windows computers are built by the same companies in China and then repackaged with different plastic.

Inte and Apple are not going to like this.


3 posted on 04/28/2018 4:57:58 AM PDT by Zathras
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To: Zathras
Maybe Intel and Apple should consider moving their assembly operations to Thailand or the Philippines or India or anywhere but China.
4 posted on 04/28/2018 5:05:37 AM PDT by Vigilanteman (ObaMao: Fake America, Fake Messiah, Fake Black man. How many fakes can you fit into one Zer0?)
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To: Vigilanteman

Many of the better motherboards are made in Taiwan.


5 posted on 04/28/2018 5:18:32 AM PDT by Fai Mao (I still want to see The PIAPS in prison)
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To: Fai Mao

Taiwan is an excellent choice as well. As is Singapore. Maybe not as cheap as the other places I mentioned, but the compensation in quality can be more than worth the extra labor costs.


6 posted on 04/28/2018 5:21:00 AM PDT by Vigilanteman (ObaMao: Fake America, Fake Messiah, Fake Black man. How many fakes can you fit into one Zer0?)
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To: reaganaut1
Thanks for posting the great news! Just do it!. ChiComs will lower their tariffs tomorrow! MEGA MAGA WIN!

We truly have a patriot for a President!

7 posted on 04/28/2018 5:24:14 AM PDT by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn)
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To: Zathras
Most computers including Apple are built in China.

NOT FOR LONG! Ha ha ha ha

Free Traitors™ are sadden and my hear sings!

8 posted on 04/28/2018 5:25:52 AM PDT by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn)
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To: Vigilanteman

Did it ever occur to you Free Traitors™ that the goal is to make computers in the USA? Get it blood you sucking < expletive deleted >?


9 posted on 04/28/2018 5:27:58 AM PDT by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn)
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To: Vigilanteman
Maybe Intel and Apple should consider moving their assembly operations to Thailand or the Philippines or India or anywhere but China.

You Free Traitors™ just don't get it? Made in the USA is the goal!!!

10 posted on 04/28/2018 5:29:11 AM PDT by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn)
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To: reaganaut1
I ❤ President Trump!
11 posted on 04/28/2018 5:30:35 AM PDT by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn)
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To: central_va

As usual, you are wrong.

Computers will be assembled where there is the lowest cost. That place is not in America where we are at full employment excluding druggies and those that can’t be relied on to get to work


12 posted on 04/28/2018 5:36:10 AM PDT by Thibodeaux (Long Live the Republic!)
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To: Thibodeaux
Computers will be assembled where there is the lowest cost.

The tariff will make the USA the lowest cost place to build! Viva the tariff, Viva Trump, Viva USA!

Computers will be assembled where there is the lowest cost. That place is not in America where we are at full employment excluding druggies and those that can’t be relied on to get to work

You can trash your fellow Americans and sound like Hillary all you want. But that is useless, the fact is that the "deplorable" swill you disdain so much is taking over the Re-puke-again Party and DISPLACING the slime ball globalist hacks like you!

Oh yeah I forgot to ask: Where you gonna go?

13 posted on 04/28/2018 6:01:20 AM PDT by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn)
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To: central_va

facts are facts and no amount of fallacious ad hominem attack will change them


14 posted on 04/28/2018 6:09:22 AM PDT by Thibodeaux (Lonmight not really matter and the conclusion g Live the Republic!)
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To: Thibodeaux

The fact is the Republican party is changing to a pro-American worker nationalist party and displacing you globalists politically — and you don’t like it. In the words of the douche bag extraordinaire Karl Bushbot Rove, Where you going to go?


15 posted on 04/28/2018 6:14:38 AM PDT by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn)
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To: central_va

Your premise is wrong.

American trade world wide is going to grow, not cease.

What you think you know is mostly garbage


16 posted on 04/28/2018 6:17:30 AM PDT by Thibodeaux (Lonmight not really matter and the conclusion g Live the Republic!)
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To: Thibodeaux

The R party is changing where you going to go?


17 posted on 04/28/2018 6:18:22 AM PDT by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn)
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To: central_va

Me?

You are the one that will need to decide. Your isolationist vision is never going to come about.


18 posted on 04/28/2018 6:21:01 AM PDT by Thibodeaux (Lonmight not really matter and the conclusion g Live the Republic!)
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To: reaganaut1
You don't help American exporters or their workers by continuing to let others take advantage of you.

Trump is hoping the threat is sufficient to drive change.

If not, then the actual imposition is likely to have the desired effect in short order.

19 posted on 04/28/2018 6:31:49 AM PDT by G Larry (There is no great virtue in bargaining with the Devil)
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To: reaganaut1
You need to learn from your namesake: http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=34032

I am today announcing my intent to raise tariffs on as much as $300 million in Japanese exports to the United States. I am taking these actions in response to Japan's inability to enforce our September 1986 agreement on semiconductor trade. Regrettably, Japan has not enforced major provisions of the agreement aimed at preventing dumping of semiconductor chips in third country markets and improving U.S. producers' access to the Japanese market. I am committed to the full enforcement of our trade agreements designed to provide American industry with free and fair trade opportunities.

Remember what happened next? This time is a little different since China is not our friend. The result will be the same though.

20 posted on 04/28/2018 6:50:47 AM PDT by palmer (...if we do not have strong families and strong values, then we will be weak and we will not survive)
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