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What is a trade war? 101

Leaving politics right out of this, lets talk about how trade wars work. Then you be the judge of who wins and who loses. (Economics is kind of my thing)
If a country wants to protect an industry, say like steel or Aluminium, it has several options.. One, to place a tariff (a charge or tax) on any imported steel. Two, to set quota limits requiring a licence to import it. Three to subsidize the local people to allow them to sell their stuff cheaper. (Remember Farm subsidies)
Now if a nation does any one these, the oversea export country is likely to pick another product the US is selling them and do the same thing, So.. Who wins? Not the consumers.. Either way, they end up paying more for stuff made from Steel and Aluminium, and not the people trying to sell their other products, say food, which is already costing the consumers money in farm subsidies and now they still cant sell, against the other guys tariff..
So who wins?? The governments at either end, pocketing the tariff money...
That's why no sensible person WANTS a trade war.... There ARE NO WINNERS!!!
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firefall · 61-69, M
Well, domestic producers tend to make out like a bandit when they're protected, so there are a few winners, at the cost of everyone else.
whowasthatmaskedman · 70-79, M
Yes.. You get it.. Its government money for free.. We don't have to compete.@firefall
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whowasthatmaskedman · 70-79, M
That's not so.. Domestic working class consumers tend to be low cost consumers.. most of Walmarts inventory is Chinese.. This is the flaw of Trickle down economics.. The poorer people buy cheap imports while the rich buy Ferraris Gucci and Armani. America doesn't figure in enough of its own purchases. You need to make stuff you can sell overseas and don't have to subsidize to keep the price competitive.@TotalMiss
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whowasthatmaskedman · 70-79, M
Manufacturing.. America manufactures very little it can export, and it imports a lot. And mining in so many industries is either dying or in oversupply globally. Your steel and aluminium need protection to survive..
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