Here's a question for you. The Chinese property market is overbuilt and collapsing, which means the Chinese steel industry is also overbuilt, because they are losing one of their main markets- the Chinese construction industry. At this point I am speculating, but this means there could be a lot of very cheap Chinese steel on the world market, because they have nowhere else to sell it, and demand has plummeted.
If we allow this cheap Chinese steel into the United States, then the cost of building things like automobiles, skyscrapers, or anything that takes steel becomes much cheaper. Then American companies would make a lot more money, employ a lot more people, and prices would go down here in the United States.
So letting cheap Chinese steel into the United States could be a tremendous benefit to our economy. But we have tariffs on Chinese steel, to protect the US steel industry and US steel workers.
If you had the power to do it, would take advantage of this Chinese misfortune, and let their steel flow into the US unimpeded? It seems like it would be a tremendous benefit for consumers, and a lot of American industries, but might damage the US steel industry.
(08-15-2024, 09:34 AM)Caldrac Wrote: [ -> ]America First.
Every single time..
(08-15-2024, 09:35 AM)WingerDinger Wrote: [ -> ] (08-15-2024, 09:34 AM)Caldrac Wrote: [ -> ]America First.
Every single time..
But what does that mean in this case? If allowing Chinese steel into the United States results in lower prices for consumers, and bigger profits and more jobs for American businesses, isn't that "America First?"
(08-15-2024, 09:47 AM)The Real Marty Wrote: [ -> ] (08-15-2024, 09:35 AM)WingerDinger Wrote: [ -> ]Every single time..
But what does that mean in this case? If allowing Chinese steel into the United States results in lower prices for consumers, and bigger profits and more jobs for American businesses, isn't that "America First?"
Not at the expense of putting American's out of work, putting American factories into the gutter and putting American resources on the back burner. We should be leading the way, setting the Gold standard and protecting our citizens financially.
Not the other way around. We've allowed Globalists to run amuck for far too long. What you're implying, in my opinion, is essentially selling out. No thank you.
[BLEEP] China. They've sucked enough of our economy dry. We're paying the price for it now.
What good is your "Made in China" products to you when you can barely afford to keep the energy bill going to run said products?
(08-15-2024, 09:51 AM)Caldrac Wrote: [ -> ] (08-15-2024, 09:47 AM)The Real Marty Wrote: [ -> ]But what does that mean in this case? If allowing Chinese steel into the United States results in lower prices for consumers, and bigger profits and more jobs for American businesses, isn't that "America First?"
Not at the expense of putting American's out of work, putting American factories into the gutter and putting American resources on the back burner. We should be leading the way, setting the Gold standard and protecting our citizens financially.
Not the other way around. We've allowed Globalists to run amuck for far too long. What you're implying, in my opinion, is essentially selling out. No thank you.
[BLEEP] China. They've sucked enough of our economy dry. We're paying the price for it now.
What good is your "Made in China" products to you when you can barely afford to keep the energy bill going to run said products?
But I've already made the point that allowing cheap steel into the US would create jobs, and make a lot of the things we buy cheaper.
Yes, it would hurt American steel workers and the American steel industry, but it would benefit literally everyone else. American factories would thrive because their raw materials would be cheaper. American jobs would be created because of thriving American factories, and because American consumers would have more money in their pocket to spend on other things.
Your version of "America First" actually hurts America. How is making everything more expensive supposed to help Americans?
One really would have to consider the safety of this. Chinese products are inherently low quality. Their is no such thing as quality control. I do not believe I want a building with the backbone built of sub standard steel. If quality control could be accomplished and it still be substantially less expensive then sure, buy it.
Usually anti-dumping tariffs and penalties are justified as preserving the market share of domestic firms. The implication is, the price of the Chinese stuff is low now, but once they get their hooks in, they'll jack up the price. Marty is suggesting that this low price might be a one-time burst of volume, with low levels of production volume afterwards. I think that's a naive assumption and it wouldn't change my answer.
Tariffs for their own sake are bad.
Tariffs are only good if you can justify them in terms of national interest. We have to admit that the tariff raises the price, admit that we can't make the product as cheaply as they make it, explain why, and explain why it's good to preserve our way of doing it.
The justification has to be in terms of national security, worker safety, or carbon intensity. And it has to be persuasive. Other than that, I don't favor tariffs.
(08-15-2024, 10:07 AM)Jagwired Wrote: [ -> ]One really would have to consider the safety of this. Chinese products are inherently low quality. Their is no such thing as quality control. I do not believe I want a building with the backbone built of sub standard steel. If quality control could be accomplished and it still be substantially less expensive then sure, buy it.
What if, for example, Ford Motor Company could send someone over to check how they are making the steel they are buying? I think that would be a pretty easy thing to do.
(08-15-2024, 10:13 AM)The Real Marty Wrote: [ -> ] (08-15-2024, 10:07 AM)Jagwired Wrote: [ -> ]One really would have to consider the safety of this. Chinese products are inherently low quality. Their is no such thing as quality control. I do not believe I want a building with the backbone built of sub standard steel. If quality control could be accomplished and it still be substantially less expensive then sure, buy it.
What if, for example, Ford Motor Company could send someone over to check how they are making the steel they are buying? I think that would be a pretty easy thing to do.
Hence my last sentence above.
I think most Americans do not mind paying a premium for USA built products.
(08-15-2024, 10:14 AM)Jagwired Wrote: [ -> ] (08-15-2024, 10:13 AM)The Real Marty Wrote: [ -> ]What if, for example, Ford Motor Company could send someone over to check how they are making the steel they are buying? I think that would be a pretty easy thing to do.
Hence my last sentence above.
I think most Americans do not mind paying a premium for USA built products.
Then why do we need tariffs? If all it takes is a "made in the USA" label, why do we need to make imports more expensive?
(08-15-2024, 10:14 AM)Jagwired Wrote: [ -> ] (08-15-2024, 10:13 AM)The Real Marty Wrote: [ -> ]What if, for example, Ford Motor Company could send someone over to check how they are making the steel they are buying? I think that would be a pretty easy thing to do.
Hence my last sentence above.
I think most Americans do not mind paying a premium for USA built products.
Agreed!! As long as inflation would be lowered like with a Trump Presidency.. With inflation the way it is because of Biden and Harris, lots of people are chosing the cheapest manufacturers.
Lower inflation by electing Trump and more people would be on board with buying American made and paying a premium for it.
(08-15-2024, 10:38 AM)WingerDinger Wrote: [ -> ] (08-15-2024, 10:14 AM)Jagwired Wrote: [ -> ]Hence my last sentence above.
I think most Americans do not mind paying a premium for USA built products.
Agreed!! As long as inflation would be lowered like with a Trump Presidency.. With inflation the way it is because of Biden and Harris, lots of people are chosing the cheapest manufacturers.
Lower inflation by electing Trump and more people would be on board with buying American made and paying a premium for it.
If more people would buy American made products if inflation were lower, and if Trump is going to kill inflation, then why is Trump floating the idea of putting a 60% tariff on all imported goods? In your scenario, it's completely unnecessary.
(08-15-2024, 10:36 AM)The Real Marty Wrote: [ -> ] (08-15-2024, 10:14 AM)Jagwired Wrote: [ -> ]Hence my last sentence above.
I think most Americans do not mind paying a premium for USA built products.
Then why do we need tariffs? If all it takes is a "made in the USA" label, why do we need to make imports more expensive?
Because, if countries want access to the American market and all it's trillions of consumer dollars they should have to pay for that privilege. Government revenue is gained. Helps American companies from having to compete with overwhelming foreign competition. C'mon Marty, you know this stuff. Hell, many countries won't even allow trade the other way.
(08-15-2024, 10:51 AM)Jagwired Wrote: [ -> ] (08-15-2024, 10:36 AM)The Real Marty Wrote: [ -> ]Then why do we need tariffs? If all it takes is a "made in the USA" label, why do we need to make imports more expensive?
Because, if countries want access to the American market and all it's trillions of consumer dollars they should have to pay for that privilege. Government revenue is gained. Helps American companies from having to compete with overwhelming foreign competition. C'mon Marty, you know this stuff. Hell, many countries won't even allow trade the other way.
The payment for that privilege comes directly out of the pockets of consumers. All tariffs do is raise prices for consumers.
(08-15-2024, 10:56 AM)The Real Marty Wrote: [ -> ] (08-15-2024, 10:51 AM)Jagwired Wrote: [ -> ]Because, if countries want access to the American market and all it's trillions of consumer dollars they should have to pay for that privilege. Government revenue is gained. Helps American companies from having to compete with overwhelming foreign competition. C'mon Marty, you know this stuff. Hell, many countries won't even allow trade the other way.
The payment for that privilege comes directly out of the pockets of consumers. All tariffs do is raise prices for consumers.
Only if people buy them.
(08-15-2024, 10:56 AM)The Real Marty Wrote: [ -> ] (08-15-2024, 10:51 AM)Jagwired Wrote: [ -> ]Because, if countries want access to the American market and all it's trillions of consumer dollars they should have to pay for that privilege. Government revenue is gained. Helps American companies from having to compete with overwhelming foreign competition. C'mon Marty, you know this stuff. Hell, many countries won't even allow trade the other way.
The payment for that privilege comes directly out of the pockets of consumers. All tariffs do is raise prices for consumers.
Seems you want a country devoid of manufacturing all in the name of some cheap Chinese crap. What happens when the country you are relying on for all this cheap crap tells you to go pound sand and now you have destroyed all American manufacturing? What happens when China quits delivering all this cheap steel to us because of political tensions or war and there is no operating American steel mills?
Dang, I thought Chinese Steel was a new heavy metal band that was going to open up for Metallica.
(08-15-2024, 11:13 AM)HURRICANE!!! Wrote: [ -> ]Dang, I thought Chinese Steel was a new heavy metal band that was going to open up for Metallica.
I would purchase it all and then immediately sell it to the rest of the world at a 20% mark up.