The Foreign Trade Thread

#1,129
#1,129
n_huffhines said:
"
This is a stunningly stupid idea on many levels.

Let's start with the most obvious: Tariffs are taxes on Americans. Making it more expensive to import goods from Mexico is a pretty roundabout way to get Mexico to change its border policies, but it's a very direct tax increase for American businesses and consumers. Last year, Americans imported more than $346 billion in goods from Mexico, so a 25 percent tariff would amount to an $87 billion tax increase.

Second, the number of undocumented immigrants coming to the United States from Mexico has been declining for years, and many have returned home already. In 2016, there were 1.5 million fewer unauthorized Mexicans living in the U.S. than there were in 2007, according to data from the Pew Research Center. Overall, the number of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. has declined from 12.2 million in 2007 to about 10 million last year, Pew says.

Perhaps Trump means that Mexico should curb the flow of migrants passing through the country on their way to the United States—specifically, the migrants fleeing violence in Central America. But those are not, by and large, illegal immigrants; they're coming here to legally present themselves as candidates for asylum.

Third, even if Mexico could be convinced to act, somehow, by the tariff threat, the White House's demands are absurd. The tariffs are set to ratchet up by 5 percent every month between June and October, but what sort of comprehensive immigration policy could be implemented in a matter of weeks? Trump says the tariffs will stay in place until the "problem is remedied," but what does that mean? Illegal immigration over the southern border is already near historic lows, and it's not at all clear what metric the Trump administration will use to judge whether Mexico has done as it is being told. Mexican officials are being told to fix a problem they didn't cause, to do it in a matter of weeks, and without knowing how their performance will be measured.

​
Fourth, if the tariffs work the way Trump think they will, they will make illegal immigration worse. Think about it like this: Trump believes tariffs harm the economy of the country exporting goods to the United States (which is true, though importers and consumers in the U.S. are hurt worse). So he's implementing a strategy that's designed to harm Mexico's economy, but what happens when Mexico's economy weakens? More Mexicans try to cometo the United States!

Fifth, Trump's out-of-nowhere tariff threat is rattling the stock market, again.

Sixth, Trump is complicating the passage of his much touted United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA) with these new tariff threats. Earlier this year, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R–Iowa) made it clear that the Senate Finance Committee, which handles trade issues and which he chairs, would not approve the USMCA deal until the Trump administration withdrew the tariffs on steel and aluminum imported from Canada and Mexico. Trump backed down and lifted those tariffs two weeks ago, apparently clearing the way for the USMCA to pass Congress."
Click to expand...
I don’t think anyone cares whether those crossing over are “illegal” or “asylum seekers”.

They’re all the same to those opposed to the influx at the Southern border.
 
#1,130
#1,130
85SugarVol said:
I don’t think anyone cares whether those crossing over are “illegal” or “asylum seekers”.

They’re all the same to those opposed to the influx at the Southern border.
Click to expand...

No. Most of us see asylum quite differently. However, seeking asylum because you live in a bad neighborhood because you and your neighbors have never lifted a finger to do anything about corruption or gangs is not at all the same as living in a neighborhood that was just bombed by warring factions in a civil war. We wouldn't have a country capable of accepting refugees if no one had felt compelled to stand up against the British.
 
  • Like
Reactions: marcusluvsvols
#1,132
#1,132
Asylum seekers are supposed to apply for it in the first country they enter that can accommodate them. Those fleeing Central American countries shouldn't march through Mexico to get to the USoA. The should get their asylum IN Mexico.

I watched a Mexican NAFTA rep on CNBC. IMO, Trump has their attention and Mexico will be far more cooperative today than they were yesterday at curbing the flow of illegals into the US.

I wish that Trump could use the same tactic to make Congress work with him at solving problems. The Left is obsessed with their own agenda (getting re-elected) and have little concern about what's best for the country. No doubt they want the economy to crater leading up to the 2020 elections. I wish that Trump could stop their paychecks until they learn to govern responsibly.
 
  • Like
Reactions: marcusluvsvols, NorthDallas40 and AM64
#1,137
#1,137
1972 Grad said:
…..and the stock market goes up, and the stock market goes down. Always has, always will. I have lost several thousand dollars a day in the last few weeks. It will come back. Always has, always will...……………......especially when the interest rates are low and corporate profits high.
Click to expand...
Sure, that’s a given.

This is 100% self inflicted though. The market should be soaring right now.

It’s tanking. Because of Trump
 
  • Like
Reactions: Big Gucci Sosa
#1,139
#1,139
  • Like
Reactions: marcusluvsvols, NorthDallas40 and AM64
#1,140
#1,140
He has found a hammer in tariffs - now everything he sees is a nail. How come Elon Musk was fined by the SEC for tweeting things that significantly affect market values, but this idiot does the same and the base cheers him on? It has been reported that he spends hours on the phone talking to his swamp friends who are probably shorting the market every time they sense a tariff tantrum coming on....
 
#1,141
#1,141
newarkvol said:
He has found a hammer in tariffs - now everything he sees is a nail. How come Elon Musk was fined by the SEC for tweeting things that significantly affect market values, but this idiot does the same and the base cheers him on? It has been reported that he spends hours on the phone talking to his swamp friends who are probably shorting the market every time they sense a tariff tantrum coming on....
Click to expand...

He's using the hammer on the issues most important to US citizens. It's not like he's doing it to push gender-less restrooms or to remove historical monuments.
 
  • Like
Reactions: marcusluvsvols and AM64
#1,144
#1,144
85SugarVol said:
It’s a blip until it isn’t. Keep effing with it
Click to expand...

Equity indexes and averages are mostly positively correlated to company earnings. He's not going to materially disrupt them with his policies.

He wears another big hat as the CIC of our armed forces. Sometimes he has to let the economy take a short term hit to advance issues of defense.
 
  • Like
Reactions: marcusluvsvols and AM64
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

VN Store



Back
Top