Trump's Tariff on China - what's the truth?

Poll - Total Votes: 22

Agree with Trump on the Tariff

Disagree with Trump on the Tariff

You can only vote on one answer.

I am confused about Trump's tariff on Chinese goods. Trump declares that the tariffs are absorbed by the Chinese and that it has no effect on the American consumer. American retail companies say that this is not the case. Prominent economists from major banks and universities also say that this is not the case.

Retailers and economists agree that prices on the Chinese goods sold here in America will increase and this means more cost to the American consumer.

Trump says that both the retail industry and economists do not know what they are talking about. He has more expertise than these groups because he is a billionaire businessman and he knows how to make a deal ... and that millions of his MAGA followers agree with him.

I don't think that because his millions of followers support him that this negates what the American retailers and economists are claiming. Nor does it follow that just because one can make deals means that one is an expert with such complex subjects such as trade economics, market supply and international currency exchange.

Has our country finally reached the point that we believe a demagogue over facts coming from the evidence provided by experts?

If this is so, I'm genuinely concerned. This is beginning to take on more and more the aura of 1938 Germany.

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Picklebobble2 · 56-60, M

Trump needs an enemy.
He's been searching for one since before he took office !
The simplest way to stop China's influence is simply to ban all Chinese imports.

So why hasn't he ?

samanthasmokes · 36-40, F

@Picklebobble2 Trump is not going to ban all Chinese goods. Our economies, American and Chinese, are tightly linked with one another.

Picklebobble2 · 56-60, M

@samanthasmokes How ?

https://www.visualcapitalist.com/china-vs-united-states-a-tale-of-two-economies/

samanthasmokes · 36-40, F

@Picklebobble2 Pickle, I am no expert. I am just concerned about what I'm reading. Check these articles out:

https://www.axios.com/us-and-chinese-economies-will-be-hard-to-decouple-370f5d3e-c6e3-4cce-b8ba-141c1af9f92a.html

https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/072915/impact-chinese-economy-us-economy.asp

There are sites based on economic theory and history. One of favorite economist's to read is Kimberly Amadeo.

Picklebobble2 · 56-60, M

@samanthasmokes Trump is concerned because he knows that someone in China can buy an i-phone. Have an engineer take it apart and examine what it's made of and then have their own people recreate exactly the same thing in China for a third of the price !
But then, he knows full well that Apple and other U.S. companies get the parts for their phones/computers etc FROM CHINA !
So it makes no sense other than to try and protect companies like Apple and Microsoft from patent fraud.
But if he wanted to do that, all he has to do is ban Huawei products from coming into the country !