Walmart is preparing to raise prices if Trump delivers on his tariffs promises.

[hawkeyetraveler]

China needs the US more than the other way around. We hold the cards in general.

This is a simplistic platitude. Do something new for once in your life and look more than one move ahead. Let’s say tomorrow we implement a 60% tariff on all Chinese made goods and a 20% tariff on all other imports. What happens next? How long until American manufacturing has taken up the production of those goods?

 

[onlyTheObvious]

Curtis Mathes TV
The most expensive television set in America, and darn well worth it.

 

[mnole03]

Weird flex ragging on somebody's retirement portfolio when majority of Americans are in the same boat.

My portfolio more mass than the earth.
Walz Portfolio half-staff, it needs more work.

 

[joelbc1]

Wait a minute, I thought Walmart was evil for putting mom & pop stores out of business. Won't Trump's tariffs make locally owned stores more competitive and keep dollars in the community?

How so? Locally owned stores would be exempt from tariffs?

 

[Whiskeydeltadeltatango]

Pocahontas going to tweet a stern message about price gouging?

 

[franklinman]

This is a simplistic platitude. Do something new for once in your life and look more than one move ahead. Let’s say tomorrow we implement a 60% tariff on all Chinese made goods and a 20% tariff on all other imports. What happens next? How long until American manufacturing has taken up the production of those goods?

YEARS, to build the plants,factories, and we don't have the labor force needed.

 

[RagnarLothbrok]

How long until American manufacturing has taken up the production of those goods?

As you well know, with what labor?

 

[RagnarLothbrok]

I do not understand how anyone can argue against this reality, especially if you claim to be conservative.

If these tariffs pass, prices are going to go up. It’s pretty simple economics. So, what is so confusing to the MIB?

 

[franklinman]

Pocahontas going to tweet a stern message about price gouging?

Um, record profits for the 5-6 corporations that supply all our food products we shop for, Not a problem is it.

 

[Gimmered]

That's not how businesses work.
Walmart does have access to cheap goods that the mom and pop store does not. By making those cheap goods more expensive to Walmart, you are helping American manufacturers compete at the wholesale level, and you are helping the mom and pop store compete at the retail level by narrowing the price gap. If that poorly made Chinese product at Walmart is only a little bit cheaper than the higher-quality but more expensive American made product at Bill's Hardware, people are more likely to buy American.
There will still be people looking to buy the cheapest option, but if the price gap is smaller, it helps the American manufacturer and the local retailer. Even if we're talking about similar quality items, it helps.

You honestly think you are walking into a hardware store downtown and buying American made products?

 

[CarolinaHawkeye]

Will there be a tariff on trump bibles?

 

[artradley]

I dont even know who Adam Smith is. Sorry.

lol

 

[QChawks]

Being in the world supply chain myself raising tariffs in itself is not a bad idea, the problem as I see it is that Trump believes that:

1. That the new import cost won't be passed on to Americans
2. Countries will be willing to negotiate to get it either reduced or removed
3. This will immediately spur more US supply and jobs
4. Companies won't outsmart the tariffs by transferred goods through Mexico or another nearby country

There are certainly a lot of unknowns, but from my several years' experience nothing moves quickly in this sector so by the time his term is up there may finally be some benefits from his proposed plan

 

[luvmyhawks]

I am a free trade fair trade guy as well. But this trade isnt free. First off they steal intellectual property on the regular and have refused, despite calls from Presidents of both parties, to stop. They also are our enemy. Probably our biggest enemy of you are considering the threat they pose.

Russia? Sure, but they are weak. They can't even beat Ukraine.
Iran? Yes, but again, threating or interests and our allies but I also think that if push came to shove wed wipe them out in less than a month. Their own people would rise up with us.
North Korea? Meh.

Now China has formidable size and economic power that the other three don't have and a military that is really the only one on Earth that rivals ours.

So, yes, I am for tariffs. Not just because it brings US jobs. But because it will lessen our addiction to cheap Chinese junk that comes from abuse of their citizens to manufacture, and it inject capital into their economy and supports the government and its military.

Additionally, anytime tariffs can be used to keep a critical industry here from failing under the weight of cheap products made elsewhere its a win. Like US steel for example. We cannot have our steel industry fail as if we did need to involve ourselves in a serious world conflict on the scale of WW2 for example. We need to have a robust steel manufacturing infrastructure to call upon. If US Steel has to shut down due to inability to compete with countries we import from, this is a problem.

If we were just discussing China, I might agree with you because **** china. (the 60% I have seen is a bit ridiculous though) But we aren't. You are aware Trump is proposing a 10% universal tariff, right? Across the board. That includes all our best and most loyal allies. Why? It is terrible economic policy and horrible foreign policy.

 

[joelbc1]

If we were just discussing China, I might agree with you because **** china. (the 60% I have seen is a bit ridiculous though) But we aren't. You are aware Trump is proposing a 10% universal tariff, right? Across the board. That includes all our best and most loyal allies. Why? It is terrible economic policy and horrible foreign policy.

But it is necessary (tariff $) so Trump can cut taxes for the rich some more…

 

[SalAunese]

Sorry to hear that.



Most Americans are not held as a Pilar of what we should strive to be like. When the vice president candidate cannot afford to retire, after golding multiple incomes for several years, you have to question their strategies.

We live in a great country actually. I know plenty of stupid people that live great lives despite being unproductive for the most part. We have it pretty damn good here.

 

[pepsicock]

View embedded media

First off this is BS. Gas will be $1.65 by April

 

[St. Louis Hawk]

First off this is BS. Gas will be $1.65 by April

LOL

Gonna tuck this one away.

 

[hawkeyetraveler]

If we were just discussing China, I might agree with you because **** china. (the 60% I have seen is a bit ridiculous though) But we aren't. You are aware Trump is proposing a 10% universal tariff, right? Across the board. That includes all our best and most loyal allies. Why? It is terrible economic policy and horrible foreign policy.

Technically 60-100% on Chinese goods and 10-20% on all other goods is what he promised. People freaked out about 7-8% inflation.

If you are planning to buy something made oversees with a large sticker price I would consider buying sooner rather than later.

 

[SalAunese]

We live in a great country actually. I know plenty of stupid people that live great lives despite being unproductive for the most part. We have it pretty damn good here.

First off this is BS. Gas will be $1.65 by April

I rest my case

 

[Joes Place]

Buy made in USA things that employ US workers under US rules and regs.

So, don't buy any:

• Trump ties
• Trump shoes
• Trump shirts
• Trump watches
• Trump hats
• Trump flags

Etc, etc, etc.

 

[fsu1jreed]

First off this is BS. Gas will be $1.65 by April

I can't tell if this is sarcasm...just please say it was

 

[McLovin32]

First off this is BS. Gas will be $1.65 by April

The last time the average gas price in the US was $1.65 was in 2009.

 

[Gus is dead]

OMG you are wrong on so many levels here, but to start with, do you know who owns US Steel?

Do you even know the difference between a capital letter and a lowercase one?

I said US steel. Not US Steel.

Need I explain how those are different and why I used one and not the other?

Seems OMG that you are the one mikstaken here.

Or does the US have no steel industry at all? Hint: US Steel isnt even in the top 3 of the biggest steel manufacturers in the US.

 

[Gus is dead]

You do realize China is just capitalizing on America’s addiction for want. Please tell me you understand that.

Of course they are. And that addiction has been fomented by the cheap prices China offers. Do you think that is an accident? Please tell me YOU understand that. And tell me which country benefits from that relationship the most?

 

[Gus is dead]

You can do that already and pay more now.

I do when I am able. I'm sure I don't pay attention like I should at all times.

So to explain via analogy.......This is parallels the tax argument. The left wanting to raise people's taxes because they don't think we pay enough. But when those making this argument are offered the chance to pay more on their own, because they can, that argument is said to be irrelevant.

Second, this also parallels the green energy, climate change stuff. Everyone wants mandates. Why? Because when consumers are left to choosing the cheapest vs the best choice often the cheapest is the choice. The mandates proposed in the energy sector, like EV vehicles etc, are suggested/desired/legislated because many realize this and feel that compelling people to choose the desired option is hard. Mandating it by law easy.

Well in this case I can purchase more of the US made stuff yes. But unless the whole country makes the move either by a massive public relations campaign, or out of choice when the Chinese products go up because of tariffs my small bit doesn't make a lot of difference.

 

[Gus is dead]

There is a lot in here that is factually correct, but it ignores the consequences of the action.

You are right about China being the largest threat. But you have to consider what happens when we implement the tariffs without the infrastructure and capability to replace the goods you are taxing. The real discussion here is do we want a full-on economic war with China and are we as a country prepared to pay the price for that war?

One could say yes, voters absolutely voted for 60% tariffs on all Chinese made goods (and 20% on all other imports by the way). But one could also say no, consumers voted for Trump’s promise of lower prices. These two are not in alignment. If you push tariffs you get higher prices. Full stop.

And then you have to consider the timeline to replace the goods made in China. This would take many years unless there was major government intervention (i.e. invoke the defense production act). We lack four things to make this happen in a timely fashion

• Industrial real estate: more manufacturing and warehousing. This ain’t cheap and it isn’t present today. It is a multi year process to build
• Manufacturing equipment: robotics, machinery, etc.
• Skilled labor
• Established supply chain for all the raw materials, intermediate goods, etc.

Net net if you want to go all-in on an economic war, you have to be prepared for the consequences - higher prices, potential shortages, etc. These impacts will take YEARS to resolve. It is more akin to a WW2 economic mobilization than anything else we have done in modern memory. That is a massive sacrifice. I submit that the same voters who elected Trump would abandon him if they fully understood the consequences required to take the tariff path.

Agreed. And thanks for the actual discussion instead of the 'OMG you're an idiot' replies made by, yes you guessed it, idiots.

This points you make are well taken. I agree. I think we'd have to consider some sort of a small tariff first then ramp up or down depending on the behavior by the US consumer and the foreign producers. A test of concept of sorts.

But yes this is a very complex issue. But i also think that the American will, work ethic, ingenuity and productivity are among the world's best and I imagine we could meet demand much more quickly than you'd suspect. The driver being jobs and capitalism. Where there is a chance to make money, that vacuum is often filled quickly.

Economics isnt my area of expertise professionally. But I also believe that this relfex jump by many to reject out of hand, the idea of focused tariffs, is short sighted. I could be 100% wrong for sure. But I also knopw the times we live in and the threats that exist from China are real. We need to address these head on now.

In some ways, you are making my argument for me. You just stopped short. If we suffer a small amount of pain now, fill these manufacturing holes now, in peacetime, itll save us from having to fill them later, in wartime where time is much more of the essence.

 

[Gus is dead]

Also incredibly inflationary. I thought that was the problem?

If you explain to Americans why prices are staying high or going up I think it can work. This is for US security. US jobs, freedom from China and other world markets.

Right now he have inflation because of reckless government spending and when consumers understand that they are pissed off.

Id be willing to pay more for things if it meant we produced our own oil, our own steel, our own microchips etc.

 

[Gus is dead]

Have you asked yourself why businesses buy from overseas manufacturers? Is their goal to maximize profits?

Of course it is. I suspect many businesses affected by the tariffs (having them levied upon them) will soon look to relocate to the US.

 

[ThorneStockton]

The fact that these two were back to back is perfect.

We live in a great country actually. I know plenty of stupid people that live great lives despite being unproductive for the most part. We have it pretty damn good here.

First off this is BS. Gas will be $1.65 by April

 

[Gus is dead]

The end result here will be another trade war.

Farming Assns are already planning their strategy of begging for subsidies to compensate.

Tariffs are inflationary and we're headed back to the same old shit that Jerome Powell just battled against.

Manipulating the money supply, IMO, isnt 'battling' against anything. It is the government artificially creating non market conditions.

Interesting how suddenly liberals are favoring monertary policy rather than fiscal policy as they have done classically.

 

[Gus is dead]

lol

I don't think admitting one doesn't know something is any sort of a weakness nor should it be regarded as funny.

The inability to admit one doesn't know something is borne out of insecurity. I do not have insecurity generally. I am an expert in my personal field and certainly do not know all even in that field and certainly not others.

I have already admitted i am not an economist. Now obviously I missed the memo that turned HBOT board from an opinion message board to a policy think tank only inhabited by experts.

The problem, truth be told, about this board generally, is that everyone on here that types something thinks they are some f***ing expert on it and everything else.

So bottom line, I really didn't have to reply that I didn't know something. Everyone on here knows there are a handful of posters who would NEVER do as much.

In fact, I knew by typing that message, I would meet with ridicule ( I looked up who he was after I saw the reference) and rather than pretend to know something I knew nothing of, I felt totally secure in saying, 'yep don't know who that is'.

In my field, if you cant say you don't know something or are not an expert on something you need to get the hell out. Or are asked out.

 

[Gus is dead]

If we were just discussing China, I might agree with you because **** china. (the 60% I have seen is a bit ridiculous though) But we aren't. You are aware Trump is proposing a 10% universal tariff, right? Across the board. That includes all our best and most loyal allies. Why? It is terrible economic policy and horrible foreign policy.

I am against levying universal tariffs. I am not against universal tariffs being threatened as a negotiating ploy however.

 

[joelbc1]

Agreed. And thanks for the actual discussion instead of the 'OMG you're an idiot' replies made by, yes you guessed it, idiots.

This points you make are well taken. I agree. I think we'd have to consider some sort of a small tariff first then ramp up or down depending on the behavior by the US consumer and the foreign producers. A test of concept of sorts.

But yes this is a very complex issue. But i also think that the American will, work ethic, ingenuity and productivity are among the world's best and I imagine we could meet demand much more quickly than you'd suspect. The driver being jobs and capitalism. Where there is a chance to make money, that vacuum is often filled quickly.

Economics isnt my area of expertise professionally. But I also believe that this relfex jump by many to reject out of hand, the idea of focused tariffs, is short sighted. I could be 100% wrong for sure. But I also knopw the times we live in and the threats that exist from China are real. We need to address these head on now.

In some ways, you are making my argument for me. You just stopped short. If we suffer a small amount of pain now, fill these manufacturing holes now, in peacetime, itll save us from having to fill them later, in wartime where time is much more of the essence.

“Focused tariffs” is an interesting term. As I was growing up, Dems were chastised for supporting tariffs and blamed by Republicans for higher prices and infringing on Adam Smith and his “free trade” doctrine. In fact, “free trade” is what Reagan elected President and got the GOP back in periodic control if the House and Senate. Now, “tariffs” will make America great again….per the same Republicans that fought for years to open up free trade.
My question wiukd be…..Whuch do you want? For how long, this time?” There are some of us, who don’t have your self-admitted expertise but gave lives they thus bullshit before abd see repeat of what we gave all experienced once in our lives. Sorry we are so slow and don’t have the entrepreneurial experts you possess but sometimes you just have to bear with us.

 

[HawkNester]

Of course they are. And that addiction has been fomented by the cheap prices China offers. Do you think that is an accident? Please tell me YOU understand that. And tell me which country benefits from that relationship the most?

China is not the problem, spoiled Americans are. Trump ran on inflation, he isn’t going to solve that problem, want to know why. Because he’s a pathological liar.

 

[ThorneStockton]

I don't think admitting one doesn't know something is any sort of a weakness nor should it be regarded as funny.

The inability to admit one doesn't know something is borne out of insecurity. I do not have insecurity generally. I am an expert in my personal field and certainly do not know all even in that field and certainly not others.

I have already admitted i am not an economist. Now obviously I missed the memo that turned HBOT board from an opinion message board to a policy think tank only inhabited by experts.

The problem, truth be told, about this board generally, is that everyone on here that types something thinks they are some f***ing expert on it and everything else.

So bottom line, I really didn't have to reply that I didn't know something. Everyone on here knows there are a handful of posters who would NEVER do as much.

In fact, I knew by typing that message, I would meet with ridicule ( I looked up who he was after I saw the reference) and rather than pretend to know something I knew nothing of, I felt totally secure in saying, 'yep don't know who that is'.

In my field, if you cant say you don't know something or are not an expert on something you need to get the hell out. Or are asked out.

Did you at least google Adam Smith to understand why you're being laughed at? That isn't clear by the novel you wrote.

 

[Gimmered]

If US Steel has to shut down due to inability to compete with countries we import from, this is a problem.

OMG you are wrong on so many levels here, but to start with, do you know who owns US Steel?

Do you even know the difference between a capital letter and a lowercase one?

I said US steel. Not US Steel.

LOL!! Obviously you google the question.

 

[Gus is dead]

”There are some of us, who don’t have your self-admitted expertise but gave lives they thus bullshit before abd see repeat of what we gave all experienced once in our lives. Sorry we are so slow and don’t have the entrepreneurial experts you possess but sometimes you just have to bear with us.

What now? I said I wasn't an expert. But ok. I'm gonna exit now granting you the grace you deserve.

 

[Gus is dead]

China is not the problem, spoiled Americans are. Trump ran on inflation, he isn’t going to solve that problem, want to know why. Because he’s a pathological liar.

Well if Trump fails you'll be proven correct and can say as much. If he doesn't well I don't think you'll be here to admit it no matter which area he sees success in. That much is clear to me.

Let's just hope for the country’s sake youre wrong about him.

 

[Gus is dead]

LOL!! Obviously you google the question.

Ok yeah I do see now I tyoed a capital once and a lower case once. Apologies. You can just guess I suppose which I meant to do and which I typed accidentally. Since there is one of each. It probably won't matter what I tell you I meant to do but ill tell you anyway. I did mean United States steel production in general not any one company. I admittedly didnt exclude US Steel though specifically.

My point stands as typed and as intended.