Tariffs in the second Trump Administration [SPLIT]

[KaraBulut]

I can't think of one department that hasn't been so damaged and/or partially dismantled that any US citizen could count on helping them in a crisis.

One of the things that Clinton and Gore never really got credit for was an effort to improve the functioning of government. The project, the National Partnership for Reinventing Government, eliminated close to 250,000 jobs and consolidated 800 agencies. A big part of the effort was modernizing systems and upgrading computer infrastructure, including rolling out desktop computers and notebook computers to staff who were still reliant upon paper processes. It was an effort done slowly and methodically, involving Congress, the agencies and the employees to do it in an organized fashion. It was the antithesis of what DOGE is doing.

The Democrats now have an opportunity to rebuild what has been damaged and make it better. Unfortunately, there's not a Al Gore or a Barack Obama or even a Ted Kennedy on the Democratic side to lead them out of the wilderness.

It's going to be even harder to undo the damage done by right wing media on convincing Americans that they are burdened with a bloated and suffocating Federal government. They're really missing out on the opportunity to point out that if America doesn't get their act together, they run the risk of being one of those European or Middle Eastern countries lamenting the days when they were major empires who ruled the world.

It's worth noting that deleterious government changes don't always show their impacts overnight. It can be months or even years before it becomes apparent that a mistake was made. The Big Bastardly Bill does a lot of tricky things like implementing things that might be popular in 2025 but delaying some of the unpopular cuts until 2027, after the midterm elections, in hopes that the populace won't notice that the Republicans have done some really stupid things in this bill.

 

[rareboy]

It's going to be even harder to undo the damage done by right wing media on convincing Americans that they are burdened with a bloated and suffocating Federal government. They're really missing out on the opportunity to point out that if America doesn't get their act together, they run the risk of being one of those European or Middle Eastern countries lamenting the days when they were major empires who ruled the world.

I think it is too late.

I think that the US has self-inflicted the damage that spells the end of the American Age.

Unless as an Imperial colonial power, they try again to use the resources to steal other countries, like Canada and Greenland to feed the oligarchs.

But like the other empires, it collapses in on itself in ever shorter time frames.

 

[rareboy]

Meanwhile the tariffs are on but not on but will be on August 9th and maybe better or maybe worse and BRICS. TACO.

Trump threatens extra 10% tariff on nations that side with Brics

The president said the levy will apply to "any country aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of Brics".

www.bbc.com

 

[rareboy]

They have idea what the fuck they are doing.

 

[rareboy]

 

[rareboy]

 

[rareboy]

Meanwhile.....Trump has decided to use tariffs to avenge his buddy Bolsinaro. And Brazil isn't having it.

 

[rareboy]

There is a global realignment of trade agreements underway that will significantly reduce US influence.

The 50% tariffs against Brazil in order to interfere with their internal politics was not a really great move.

 

[KaraBulut]

Stable genius.

Stable genius on the Epstein flight logs.

 

[rareboy]

 

[rareboy]

 

[rareboy]

Dear God.

ARE US INCELS REALLY THIS FUCKING STUPID?

 

[rareboy]

 

[KaraBulut]

Paradigm shift: In Jan, 2025 when Trump walked into the White House, there was an average 2% tariff on goods imported from Japan. That means that if you were to buy a $30,000 Toyota car assembled in Japan, the dealer passed on a $600 tariff to you on the sticker price.

Mango Mussolini just raised the tariff to 15%, calling it a deal. He raised the tax that you paid on that car to $4,500.

Trump just raised taxes on Americans by 13% and called it a "deal".

The tax is reciprocal. I haven't been to Japan but I'm guessing that someone living in Tokyo would not be able to find a parking space for an American car and China is a lot closer to Japan if a Japanese consumer is looking for a cheaper car to buy.

 

[Thad1527]

Toyota assembles cars in Kentucky. Wouldn't they be treated like the "American" manufacturers for their parts imports not from Japan?
And did Nissan and Honda increase equally in value? Hondas come from Ohio. Nissan assembles in Tennessee and Mississippi.

 

[KaraBulut]

Toyota assembles cars in Kentucky. Wouldn't they be treated like the "American" manufacturers for their parts imports not from Japan?
And did Nissan and Honda increase equally in value? Hondas come from Ohio. Nissan assembles in Tennessee and Mississippi.

Oh, that's going to be even worse.

Component parts, particularly those made of aluminum and steel, are subject to higher tariffs, even if the final product is branded as an American brand of vehicle.

This is how clueless Trump is. He's been threatening 25% to 50% tariffs on steel and aluminum parts. Compare that to 15% for an assembled car made in Japan.

Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Increases Section 232 Tariffs on Steel and Aluminum

COUNTERING TRADE PRACTICES THAT UNDERMINE NATIONAL SECURITY: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed a Proclamation to increase the tariff to 50% on steel

www.whitehouse.gov

 

[rareboy]

The 'deals' being made reflect the lack of a real strategy to imposing tariffs by TrumpCo.

It is all scattershot and a naked shakedown as the regime tries to determine the max additional tax they can get from US consumers as well as sweetheart deals for themselves.

 

[rareboy]

And who is surprised? Lutnick is also a serial liar.

 

[KaraBulut]

American automakers' costs increased and profits declined due to Trump's tariffs. Prices on US-made cars will increase if Trump's tariffs on foreign made materials like steel aren't dropped.

General Motors' Q2 profits drop $1.1B after taking tariff hit

General Motors said July 22 that tariffs could eventually cost the company $5 billion before the end of the year.

www.freep.com

General Motors' net income plummeted 35% in the second quarter compared with the same quarter in 2024 as increased costs and industry uncertainty stemming from President Donald Trump’s ongoing automotive tariffs cost the company $1.1 billion.

The Detroit automaker reported earnings for the quarter ending June 30 on July 22, the first quarter the automaker said tariffs meaningfully impacted its bottom line after warning it could lose billions due to higher import tax for vehicles and the materials required to make them.

General Motors Earnings Drop $1.1 Billion Because Of Tariffs, Company Says

The American auto manufacturer’s net income fell by 35%, the company said in its second quarter earnings call.

www.forbes.com

General Motors posted a $3 billion second-quarter profit—down $1.1 billion primarily because of tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, the company said in its earnings call on Tuesday, a day after Stellantis (Jeep, Fiat, Chrysler) blamed steep losses on tariffs.

 

[rareboy]

And of course, it is the shareholders who are going to start to get edgy as the stock price declines.