Just a real quick question for Americans - no angst or fighting.

When a product from overseas - let’s use China as an example - has a tariff on it, you know it’s the American public who pays the higher expense to cover the tariffs, not the exporter right?

I’m just asking because a Texan friend of mine thought tariffs on Chinese products was paid by the Chinese government. But it’s not. It’s the American consume who pays the higher cost.

I know it’s obvious but I just thought if check everyone understood the tariff costs the consumer, not the exporter.

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HobNoblin · 36-40, M

I don't care as long as it drives manufacturing back to the US and makes our country strong instead of dependent.

ArishMell · 70-79, M

@HobNoblin Sorry, but you can't be that optimistic. It would be good to make more of your own things again, but no country can live in splendid isolation however much you may dream of it.

For a start, if you import the main raw materials then heavily tax them, the importer pays the tax, not the supplier. That passes ultimately to the product's retail prices.

The USA still has some petroleum; do you have adequate iron, copper and aluminium ores and the means to smelt them? You can help a bit by reducing waste-rates and refining scrap metals, though.

You cannot recover petroleum-derivative materials though. Most of them - fuels, paints, lubricants, synthetic-resins, pharmaceutical, agricultural and industrial base chemicals, etc. - are used once then lost for ever.

Those four are industry's primary materials, and who controls most of the world's copper ore and a good deal of its other, especially rare-earth, metaliferous deposits? The People's Republic of China.

WintaTheAngle · 41-45, M

@HobNoblin It won’t. The tariffs from his first term didn’t.

ffony · M

@HobNoblin

(tarriffs) makes our country strong instead of dependent.

... dependent on Canada no doubt? 🥳

HobNoblin · 36-40, M

@ArishMell We'll still do trade, probably with Russia. Between the US and Russia we should have everything we need just about.