China hits USA with 15% farm tariffs. I fail to see the threat.

Photo above - grand re-opening, under new management. A Chinese "wet market" selling dogs. Inquiring minds want to know: is China's new 15% tariff on legitimate US food imports going to lead to more domestic dog slaughter?

Last week, Trump hit China with an additional 10% tariff because they were dragging their feet on stopping the flow of Fentanyl to the USA (and other countries, it should be noted). This week China retaliated by imposing a 15% tariff on American farm products (see link below). Um . . . is this because Fentanyl is a vital export product from China, and they cannot afford to scale back their manufacturing and distribution?

Well, China IS in the middle of a huge recession. And America might be soon also, if this tariff stuff gains traction. But the two countries couldn’t be more different.

1 – China has hundreds of thousands of vacant apartments. Often half-finished in the middle of nowhere. America has a housing shortage. Even Chinese people - especially the well to do - are trying to get into the USA and Canada.

2 – China – despite several “great leap forward” attempts – still cannot feed itself. Meat of all kinds, and soybeans are particular problems. America is the free-market food supplier to every nation on earth which struggles with basic agriculture.

3 – In fact, the US government PAYS farmers to leave land unplowed. How long has THIS been going on? Since 1933. How much are we paying to keep farms unplanted? In 2022, the most recent year for published data, it was over $15 billion. Yeah, my mind is blown too. See second link below.

China certainly isn’t paying anyone not to plant crops or stop raising pork. In fact, things are so dicey in the Celestial Empire that they are still eating bats, rats and pangolins. They've revived their annual “dogmeat” celebration. Also on the menu: peacocks, kangaroos, camels, and cats. You can Google this if you don’t believe me. We have an uncensored internet. The good news? They stopped eating dolphins and whales . . .

So this MIGHT be a win-win situation for the USA (not so much for Chinese bats, cats, and dogs however). Their 15% imported food tariff would be paid by Chinese consumers. No harm, no foul to American producers. And If Chinese imports go down, America will then have a more abundant domestic supply (poultry, beef, pork, soy, etc.) and our own prices should go down. We might also want to consider cutting off that $15 billion "don't plant" slush fund for farmers. I hope this isn't keeping them indoors watching NASCAR during this spring's planting season.

¡Presidente Trump - escucha! I urge you stop these nonsensical Canadian tariffs. Those hosers are NOT our enemy. Chairman Xi Jinping is the enemy. If you think there's some Canadian Fentanyl factory hidden up there, use a drone to take it out. The way President Clinton did with the VX nerve gas factory in Sudan. Double down on the Chinese tariffs. If Xi imposes a 100% tariff on food imported from America, we have won. And he just might be stupid enough to try it. Chairman Xi doesn't have access to an uncensored internet, after all, and tends to imprison people who give unsolicited advice . . .

I’m just sayin’ . . .

China strikes back at Trump tariffs with 15% levies targeting U.S. farmers

Does the US still pay farmers not to grow? - Geographic FAQ Hub: Answers to Your Global Questions

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pdockal · 56-60, M

Correct me but don't tariffs affect imports not exports ?????

Khenpal1 · M

@pdockal It goes both ways , you got 100 factory jobs and 100 farmers go down. For sure food is not going to get cheaper .

pdockal · 56-60, M

@Khenpal1

I don't think USA can put tarriffs on exports

Khenpal1 · M

@pdockal Only if product is American entirely from beginning to end

pdockal · 56-60, M

@Khenpal1

While a country can impose tariffs on imports, the United States Constitution prohibits states from imposing tariffs on exports, and the federal government does not typically impose tariffs on exports.

Khenpal1 · M

@pdockal car parts cross borders fort and back up to 8 times . I hardly see how tariffs can be avoided ?

pdockal · 56-60, M

@Khenpal1

NOT the point ...

SusanInFlorida · 31-35, F

@Khenpal1 i don't think you can find a link substantiating car parts crossing the same border more than twice. and that's mostly between the USA, canada, and Mexico. Major manufacturers have assembly lines on both sides of each border. The source the parts based on cost, inventory, and reliability

Khenpal1 · M

@SusanInFlorida I had the link , but it will take too much time for me to trace it back.

Khenpal1 · M

@SusanInFlorida Parts cross the border up to eight times (Opens in a new window) before a car rolls off the line, underscoring how tightly our manufacturing sectors are woven. Automakers and suppliers are the US's largest manufacturing sector, historically responsible for 3 – 3.5 percent of the country's GDP (Opens in a new window).4 Mar 2025 Google search https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/trump-tariffs-car-part-crosses-canada-us-mexico-borders-7-times https://www.wsj.com/business/autos/track-one-car-parts-journey-through-the-u-s-canada-and-mexicobefore-tariffs-7c0d5dcb https://www.dallasfed.org/research/pubs/usmca/degortari https://www.argusmedia.com/en/news-and-insights/latest-market-news/2654006-us-tariffs-to-push-automotive-prices-higher Basically in the last article 20 mil jobs are at risk .https://www.freightwaves.com/news/tariffs-could-reshape-north-american-supply-chains-for-autos-lumber-agrifoods

Khenpal1 · M

@SusanInFlorida The automotive industry plays a major role in the North American economy. The automotive sector contributed more than $809 billion to the U.S. economy in 2023 and accounted for 11% of total manufacturing output, according to a report from the U.S. Trade Representative.

The U.S.-Mexico automotive supply chain includes automakers such as General Motors, Ford, Toyota, BMW, Nissan, Volkswagen, Stellantis, Freightliner, Kenworth and Navistar — companies that have factories on both sides of the border.

“The automotive industry is responsible for 9.7 million direct and indirect U.S. jobs. Additionally, industry estimates that every job with an auto manufacturer in the United States creates on average nearly 11.5 other jobs upstream (e.g., auto parts producers) and downstream (e.g., auto dealerships) in the U.S. economy,” the USTR report said. A 25% tariff imposed on parts and vehicles coming from Canada and Mexico to the U.S. would “break the entire system” of the North American automotive supply chain, said John Lash, group vice president of product strategy at e2open.

Austin, Texas-based e2open is a connected supply chain software platform.Auto factories in the U.S., Canada and Mexico are dependent on parts moving back and forth across the borders multiple times before a vehicle is ultimately assembled, Lash said. “It’s really simple and easy to say, ‘We’re going to put this tariff on things … it’s going to be good for the country, it’s going to generate revenue,’” Lash said. “But there are all of these hidden consequences, and there’s structural, long-term investments that you don’t know. You don’t shift supply chains overnight. How long does it take to build a factory? It’s three years, four years. It’s not like you just shift them and move these things around. You put them in place, and then it’s a long-term investment for it.”