Tariffs on Chinese goods?

[rambone]

Donald Trump things that we should impose 25% tariffs on Chinese goods.

Is that what a free-market supporter would suggest? Will that help or hurt the economy?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPSYOzr63L8

[mrjarrell]

He's looking more and more like a dem plant. Tariffs are never a good idea. They raise the cost of doing business and are just another tax on the consumer. Not to mention that they are just flat out bad for the economy. Tariffs are in no way a free market solution to anything. Trump's just too stupid to know that.

[eldirector]

I think de-regulation of US industry would go a lot farther. The 25% tariff would only impact the items specifically made in one country. Reducing the costs of producing goods locally, across the board, would be more likely to bring production back home.

I'd be afraid China would just outsource to some other 3rd world country to get around the tariff. It would still be to expensive to produce stuff in the US.

This whole "make everything else so expensive that my way appears cheaper" seems bass ackwards to me. Just inflates costs.

[Clay]

I dont know that I have a firm belief one way or the other. I do know that I work in an industry that constantly feels the threat of CHEAP chinese labor and that we could never compete if the chinese found a way to meet the delivery requirements of most US customers. IE if the chinese found a huge warehouse and started stocking it with the most commonly ordered items we sell, it wouldn't be long before my plant, and plants just like it, would start closing their doors. Right now our saving grace is that china isn't running the equipment up near its potential, and the chinese market is sucking up most of what they make in china.

IMO, one of the jobs the govt is suppose to do is protect our interests in the US, and they haven't done that for a while. Some industries just can't compete with the chicoms when it comes to cheap labor, especially when they are able to pour money hand over fist into buying the BEST equipment out there, and then flood the shop floor with cheap labor.

[6birds]

I don't see how it can possibly help? Maybe just cut to the chase and supplement industries here that can't compete on quality or price? Maybe get the unions involved to really save money on cost of goods?

Oh wait, we already do that.

[teddy12b]

He's looking more and more like a dem plant. Tariffs are never a good idea. They raise the cost of doing business and are just another tax on the consumer. Not to mention that they are just flat out bad for the economy. Tariffs are in no way a free market solution to anything. Trump's just too stupid to know that.

I got a hard time believeing that Trump's just to stupid. I don't think the guy would be a good president, but to say he's stupid regarding business is.... well..... kinda stupid.

I think he could be an important cabinet member, but I think he lacks the character to have his hand over the big red button. He's done more international business than I have or anyone else on this forum has. I'd have to believe that in his ultimate desire to keep making more money, if he thinks the tariffs are a good idea, then they probably are.

[level.eleven]

He's looking more and more like a dem plant.

I did find it rather humorous that O'Reily, Hannity, and Ann Coulter were all on tv this week telling their viewers to drop the birther routine. I wonder if the call went out. The next day Trump said he would run as an independent if he didn't get the R nomination.

[chefnick7]

Tariffs are the answer free trade was meant to be equal not one sided. We can never compete with slave wages in some of these countries like china the only way to make the playing field equal is with tariffs. If the prices of goods made in china gos up then maybe it would be cheaper to make some of these products here again and supply Americans with jobs.

[Expat]

I am a bit torn. I think from a National Security stand point, we need an industrial base in this country. If we are solely a service based economy, if the SHTF (a real war like WW2) where we have to have a constant stream of military goods and pretty darn quick, what will we do. Outsource production to China? They may be the enemy so that might work very well. We have too much regulation and taxation on industry. If that was fixed, we may be able to compete to some extent.

[right winger]

They were part of the problem in 1929