Are tech tariffs a waste of time?

[Squid Surprise]

This is a bad article because it only discusses tariffs on China. That was never the case and likely won't be.

Except that's what Trump has threatened China with... so why is this a bad article? It's simply asking if you think they're a good or bad idea?

 

[manowar51]

As I explained in my previous post, putting 20% tariffs on Chinese goods doesn't do anything. All these American companies will simply buy those goods from the next cheapest country (Hint: it's not the USA). If you put tariffs on that country, they will move to the next cheapest place, etc. You would have to outright ban imports form 80% of the world before they would be manufactured domestically. It's not simply a matter of being willing to pay 20% extra for your electronics to put an end to Chinese slave labor, as you put it.

Yes Im aware that other countries exist. We do need to put tariffs on more countries than just China.

But im curious. How would you describe the Chinese labour system? Where they often work 12 hours a day for 6 days a week for a fraction of what an American earns. You wouldn't describe this as "slave labour"?

Honestly it really does disturb me how many in the tech community are perfectly ok with the manufacturers of tech exploiting people in foreign countries.

 

[Obiwanbill]

But there are changes … can the Chinese government tax the Thai plant? No!

Sure, maybe, Chinese workers get shipped to Thailand, but will they stay forever? Over time, likely more Thai workers get hired. This enriches the Thai economy.

China benefits less and I don’t see the Thai government ever deciding to project their power around the world.

Win, Win, Win!

 

[ET3D]

Except that's what Trump has threatened China with... so why is this a bad article? It's simply asking if you think they're a good or bad idea?

It's bad precisely because it ignores all the non-China tariffs that the Trump administration plans. Asking a question about only a part of the plan makes it a straw man question, trying to give an answer which diverts discussion from the big issue.

Edit: It's not just the other tariffs. It's the question in general. If you ask "Are tech tariffs a waste of time?", you better try to answer it. Obviously, they aren't. If you tax any CPU not made in the US, then you will definitely strengthen CPU production in the US. This might give Intel fabs the leg us it needs. On the other hand, if other countries introduces reciprocal tariffs, it might reduce Intel exports. Discussing only China takes away from the discussion of what tariffs can achieve.

 

[Squid Surprise]

It's bad precisely because it ignores all the non-China tariffs that the Trump administration plans. Asking a question about only a part of the plan makes it a straw man question, trying to give an answer which diverts discussion from the big issue.

Edit: It's not just the other tariffs. It's the question in general. If you ask "Are tech tariffs a waste of time?", you better try to answer it. Obviously, they aren't. If you tax any CPU not made in the US, then you will definitely strengthen CPU production in the US. This might give Intel fabs the leg us it needs. On the other hand, if other countries introduces reciprocal tariffs, it might reduce Intel exports. Discussing only China takes away from the discussion of what tariffs can achieve.

Well, the author DID give a few reasons as to why they felt the tariffs wouldn't work - mainly the building of factories outside China... and while this only addressed China (and what's wrong with that?!?!), the solutions could certainly be extrapolated for any other countries. Indian, Mexican, Canadian, etc can be circumvented in much the same way...

 

[jeffbert]

As I understand it, Tariffs are just a part of Trump's plan to revive domestic manufacturing. Also important is the slashing of regulations that taken with other things, have encouraged American businesses to export their manufacturing facilities.

Bureaucracies churning out tens of thousands of pages of regulations with little or no regard to their affect on the economy, have brought us to this condition. Trump will eliminate many of these.

Tariffs are used in negotiations, not so much to discourage Americans from buying foreign goods.

Give it time, and perhaps things will change for the better. I suspect Trump knows what he is doing.

 

[candle86]

As I understand it, Tariffs are just a part of Trump's plan to revive domestic manufacturing. Also important is the slashing of regulations that taken with other things, have encouraged American businesses to export their manufacturing facilities.

Bureaucracies churning out tens of thousands of pages of regulations with little or no regard to their affect on the economy, have brought us to this condition. Trump will eliminate many of these.

Tariffs are used in negotiations, not so much to discourage Americans from buying foreign goods.

Give it time, and perhaps things will change for the better. I suspect Trump knows what he is doing.

Tariff's if done smart are a great move, we need to discourage foreign manufacturing, and we need to loss a lot of regulation. Why do we import all these minerals from overseas or Canada? Because the EPA makes it illegal or to expensive to get them here, the stuff we import its here under land managed by BLM, its time to mine and drill, national security before endangered lizards