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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gregloa · 61-69, M

What a bunch of panicking freaks. Even if the total extra cost of the tariffs is passed on to consumers it’s chicken feed. 100 dollars spent will cost you an extra 10 bucks on products coming from china. A twelve pack of beer costs more than that. Who here doesn’t waste a heck of a lot more money than that every single day?? I’ll gladly pay a heck of a lot more than that for products made in the USA and my conscious will be at peace knowing my hard earned money didn’t support slave labor from China. We should have never been in this position. What do you think will happen to the USA if war with China ever breaks out?? We are screwed that’s what! It is high time someone did something about it! High time! It’s a disgrace that we are dependent on China! That is a very dangerous thing and it’s been that way for far too long. American companies are making record billions in profits because of this and still charging American consumers outrageous marked up prices purely from greed. Laws need to be implemented forcing companies to stop and not allow price gouging because of tariffs. Common freaking sense.

ArishMell · 70-79, M

@gregloa I thing you raise a very serious point going far beyond America and her immediate internal politics.

Whter China uses "slve labour, I cannot say, but she has played a very sly game.

After Mao's death, Premier Chou En-Lai opened up the country to look all cuddly and friendly to "The West", and modified her own internal system, to such an extent many countries have become heavily in thrall to it. Then having obtained much of what it wants on its way to its ultimate World's Top Dog aim, is making itself far less cuddly and friendly.

The problems are not just the extra 10% on the shop prices in the USA.

China has also carefully manipulated herself and others to take over most of the main supplies of the world's more important metals apart from iron. Not only will you be taxing your own industries for importing raw materials the USA itself does not have, but America and many other countries are at risk of those metals being unavailable anyway.

Also, if the exporters find their sales fall they would not waste time searching for alternative buyers.

I see another potential problem with so many American, UK and other countries having let their manufacturing go to China. Supposedly private companies there are not entirely free. If China really wants to cut up rough what is there to stop it nationalising them thereby taking all the intellectual-property along with the physical assets and profits?. It's probably already done that with significant products like electronics, not for things like washing-machines.

I believe the phrase is "Sleep-walking into...."