Trade war: US raises tariffs on $200bn of Chinese goods - Polidicks

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-48210313 The US has more than doubled tariffs on $200bn (£153.7bn) worth of Chinese products, in a sharp escalation of the countries' damaging trade war. Tariffs on affected Chinese goods have risen to 25% from 10%, and Beijing has vowed to retaliate. China said it "deeply regrets" the move and will have to take "necessary counter-measures." The move comes as high-level officials from both sides are attempting to salvage a trade deal in Washington. Only recently, the US and China appeared to be close to ending months of hostilities.

MAN that's one of the dumbest fucking things this adminstration has done.

China needs a kick in the dick but this isn’t the way to do it and it doesn’t harm the people in charge at all. It only screws over the little guys, including Americans and American businesses

China only responds to money. This is the only direct way to tell them to fuck off.

Destroying your own industry to own the Chinese

Trade wars don't really work though, and they just hurt both Chinese and American consumers and corporations. At any rate, Trump's not doing this because he wants to hold China accountable to international law, he's doing it because he doesn't understand anything about trade deficits as the phrase has more than two words and he just processes 'deficit.' Trade deficits aren't necessarily a bad thing if they provide value for your workers and businesses as a whole. For example, low skilled jobs in the US market have definitely suffered as a result of cheaper Chinese goods, but as long as it doesn't happen too quickly, this can be offset by diversifying the economy and having people pivot into more skilled, well-paid work. Companies are also able to get things they need to make more complicated projects for cheaper overseas and are then able to sell their products for less to consumers.

Silently readying up your economy towards war economy by cutting ties to foreign trade partners. War with Iran.

cue sound bites of farmers, concerned, saddened that their crops are now worthless, and still hopeful about Donald Trump's trade policy.

As if the iPhone wasn't already priced like it was under a big ass tariff

That's your takeaway from this? What are your priorities?

That's not how tariffs work? If Apple have to start paying a 25% tariff on many Foxconn-manufactured iPhone components, iPhones will get more expensive. Yes, they're overpriced already but they'll be even more overpriced, as will many other things.

How else do you do it?

I know you weren't asking me, but I don't think this way has much chance of success. China has a lot of space to retaliate too.

Educate your people, invest in renewable and sustainable economy to cut ties to the exploatative manufacturing methods of China!?

And/or start to level the playing field and treat Chinese goods and services like China treats American goods and services? Chinese behaviour towards trade and foreign investment is very unfair and one-sided. Allowing them to experience this may change their minds. As an economist I understand fully how tariffs are a net negative on the economy (although within the economy they redistribute wealth) but the end goal here is one where China backs down and agrees to establish the same or equivalent trade policies that the US and many more liberal economies have, which is a big net improvement to all, except for perhaps the Chinese ruling class.

Just so you guys remember, Bernie Sanders wanted to start tariffs with China as well. I don't think I disagree with doing that, China is breaking international economic rules and needs to be punished for it. The problem is that in order to keep our economy together we shouldn't have tariffs going on with anyone else at the same time.

this has nothing to do with holding china accountable. Trump isn't interested in any trade deal otherwise we would have actually been working on one, not a mutual agreement, he's interested in a mercantilism and building a wall around american industry.

The thing is that we've been hitting them since Trump started and economy is still going which is weird; there are signs of cracks but China is showing the same cracks. FYI: A lot of the manufacturing is now moving to places like Vietnam since its not only A. Cheaper to begin with than China but also B. The Tariffs are pulling US business out of china.

On NPR they said, should Trump lob tariffs on the remaining ~$300 million of chinese goods, the "cost of apparel for an average family of 4 will rise past $500".

It's because the current tariffs, which went from 10% to 25%, have been on exports primarily needed by manufacturing and supply chains. Any new tariffs on the untariffed exports will hit consumer-oriented products. It's hard for an American citizen to notice or appreciate the increase on something like rolled steel. They will definitely notice when two thirds of the shelves at Wal-Mart jump in price all at once by 10% or more. Until now, Trump's advisors have kept him from directly harming consumers but he's kicked out most of the people who argued with him and replaced them with yes men.