Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Tariffs Start to Ripple Their Way Through the U.S. Economy -- Effects are like a tax increase
Wall Street Journal ^ | June 19, 2018 | Josh Zumbrun

Posted on 06/19/2018 5:20:46 AM PDT by reaganaut1

click here to read article


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 161-162 next last
To: DoodleDawg

That’s the point. How about bringing good manufacturing back.

The tax has been on the US consumer. We used to manufacture stuff that lasted. Now we import crap that may be cheaper but you have to replace or repair 5x as often. No bargain.


21 posted on 06/19/2018 5:42:11 AM PDT by mindburglar (I have an above average brain stem)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: reaganaut1

The tariffs haven’t been fully laid on. The middlemen marketers have increased prices on product already in the pipeline from pre_tariff days.(kind of what happens to oil prices when some war threat arises in the Mideast that never materializes; the oil had already been pumped out at a pre threat price but the prices are raised to take advantage of the fears of scarcity).


22 posted on 06/19/2018 5:42:40 AM PDT by mdmathis6 (Men and Devils can't out-"alinsksy" God! He knows where "all the bodies are buried!")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mindburglar

My new washer and dryer: Maytag. Made in USA. We’re planning a kitchen renovation. Consciously attempting to purchase made in USA products.


23 posted on 06/19/2018 5:43:05 AM PDT by HotKat (Politicians are like diapers; they need to be changed often and for the same reason. Mark Twain)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: mindburglar
That’s the point. How about bringing good manufacturing back.

Labor costs in the U.S. can't compare with labor costs in Mexico or Asia.

24 posted on 06/19/2018 5:43:27 AM PDT by DoodleDawg
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: Drango

I will give you an example of how tariffs work.

A US and German company decide to build X-bike. Everything is the same between the two bikes....technology, brakes, tires, etc.

So the US company sits down and figures up the raw material, labor cost, and company profit line (with taxes figured into this estimate). They come to a wholesale price that the middle guy will reach and pay. Let’s call this ‘Y’.

The German company does the same thing, figuring up the raw material, the labor cost, and company profit line (with taxes figured into this estimate). But we reach this interesting problem. You go and figure healthcare costs, personal taxes, VAT, cost of living, etc....and this German wholesale price is ‘Y’ + 15-to-20 percent. Because of gas taxes, property taxes, sales taxes, pension cost, etc....the German has a bigger umbrella to cover.

So these two bikes are delivered to a German store, and the US-made bike (without a tariff) would be probably 15-to-20 percent more....minus out the transport cost on the US bike to be delivered there.

Can these two bikes compete? No. Is it unfair competition? The German would say so.

So the answer, because the German can never compete on a fair and level field because of his cost of living and various taxes....is a tariff. You inflate the American’s bike cost to equal the German’s cost, and probably exceed it by 5-percent.

Imagine this across literally thousands of products and the nature of German tariffs...literally to cover up the fact that they can’t compete without the tariff existing.


25 posted on 06/19/2018 5:44:03 AM PDT by pepsionice
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Drango
It’s Econ 101. These tariffs will hurt the consumers.

So do other countries' tariffs hurt their consumers?

26 posted on 06/19/2018 5:44:08 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (<img src="http://i.imgur.com/WukZwJP.gif" width=600>https://i.imgur.com/zXSEP5Z.gif)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: robroys woman
I am also against tax increases.

In fact, I'm against two things (in this case):

1) Unconstitutional spending.

2) Taxation for any purpose other than raising revenue to cover constitutionally mandated or permitted spending.

I'd be quite happy with abolishing the income tax entirely, and raising the necessary revenue for constitutional government by way of tariffs.

27 posted on 06/19/2018 5:44:57 AM PDT by NorthMountain (... the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: reaganaut1

There is a way around it.

Don’t buy the product being tariffed. Or start making it domestically.

A local craft brewer came on the news saying that he was going under because of the tariff on Aluminum. You can buy Aluminum domestically, and the tooling exists to make kegs and cans.


28 posted on 06/19/2018 5:45:06 AM PDT by redgolum
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mindburglar

“If I banged my brothers head against a dishwasher today it would break apart. Back then it was sturdy.”

What?! The dishwasher or your brother’s head?

(LOL...I know what you meant...just having a bit of fun is all!)


29 posted on 06/19/2018 5:45:22 AM PDT by mdmathis6 (Men and Devils can't out-"alinsksy" God! He knows where "all the bodies are buried!")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: reaganaut1

The article is broad to the point of meaningless.

There was no citation of a specific harmonized tariff item that was actually tariffed for a specific country.

Washing machines were cited but the tariff was restricted to korean washing machines. Such a narrow action should have no effect on washing machines across the board.


30 posted on 06/19/2018 5:45:50 AM PDT by bert ((K.E. N.P. N.C. +12 ..... Greetings Jacques. The revolution is coming))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: deadrock

What an ignorant statement

You have no clue about what you speak


31 posted on 06/19/2018 5:46:54 AM PDT by bert ((K.E. N.P. N.C. +12 ..... Greetings Jacques. The revolution is coming))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: reaganaut1

Some of the tariff will be born by the US consumer. Some will be born by the US importer/retailer. Some will be born by the Chinese manufacturer. On the flip side, 100% of income tax, corporate tax and sales tax effects 100% of the US. Additionally, the entire GDP (including the labor salary) stays in the US vs only a portion of it (the upcharge) with imports. No taxes are good taxes, but tariffs are far better than other taxes, other countries have these tariffs and several are quite hostile in general (IP theft, etc).


32 posted on 06/19/2018 5:49:56 AM PDT by rb22982
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: E. Pluribus Unum

So do other countries’ tariffs hurt their consumers?


Typically Yes. It also gives more power to their govt.


33 posted on 06/19/2018 5:50:39 AM PDT by cornfedcowboy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: mindburglar
Washing machines? Really? America used to produce really good ones that would last 10-15 years. Remember the Maytag repairman commercials?

Got a 27 year old Maytag washer. Works fine and just keeps going.

34 posted on 06/19/2018 5:51:13 AM PDT by Comment Not Approved (When bureaucrats outlaw hunting, outlaws will hunt bureaucrats.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: cornfedcowboy

I have no problem with imposing tariffs on goods from countries who impose tariffs on ours.


35 posted on 06/19/2018 5:52:01 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (<img src="http://i.imgur.com/WukZwJP.gif" width=600>https://i.imgur.com/zXSEP5Z.gif)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 33 | View Replies]

To: robroys woman

We are already paying the tax to keep a lot of people unemployed.

That is already baked into the cake. I would rather pay the cost to the manufacturing company to employ them.


36 posted on 06/19/2018 5:52:59 AM PDT by redgolum
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: Drango

Somewhat. Not all of it will be passed onto consumers (otherwise China wouldn’t care). The additional income coming back to the US will be good for consumers as well and the tax money can go to reduce our debt or lower direct US taxes (income, corp tax, etc).


37 posted on 06/19/2018 5:53:08 AM PDT by rb22982
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: pepsionice
So these two bikes are delivered to a German store, and the US-made bike (without a tariff) would be probably 15-to-20 percent LESS...minus out the transport cost on the US bike to be delivered there.

Fixed it for ya.

38 posted on 06/19/2018 5:54:11 AM PDT by jdsteel (Americans are Dreamers too!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: DoodleDawg

Yes that’s the lie you’ve been sold. Yeah sure when America has the highest corporate and income taxes in the world.

Now we don’t and already business and manufacturing are coming back.

Maybe Americans want a living wage. They can have that without government interference.

Or we can import slave labor and products made by slave labor and screw Americans.


39 posted on 06/19/2018 5:54:35 AM PDT by mindburglar (I have an above average brain stem)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: agere_contra
Tariffs > Personal Income Tax > Corp Income tax

No taxes are good, generally speaking, but tariffs are better than other forms of taxation. If nothing else, it brings US firms back to parity in forms of required cost that we require US firms to operate under (labor, reg, environmental, etc) and it also brings labor back in addition to generating tax revenue.

40 posted on 06/19/2018 5:55:53 AM PDT by rb22982
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 161-162 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson