I think it is worth understanding the difference between US ownership of a European car company (designing and producing cars for the European market) and US exporting cars made (mostly) in the US to Europe. And working out the profit and tax allocation for the former.
BTW you will note other US car companies have ducked out of Europe - it proved to be a market that they didn’t understand.
I was trying to understand the logic for the tariff levels that Trump has applied. Assuming there is a logic - and with this administration that is doubtful. But it turns out that a formula was applied. That formula ended up with providing the number for the reciprocal tariff they’ve applied. Gosh, a formula.
There are two problems with this approach. First, the formula simply works out the trade difference - so the US importing $10bn from one place and only exporting $5bn would result in a 50% tariff. This is way too simplistic. So a poor country like Bangladesh suffers badly. It can make stuff cheaply, because it is poor, but it can’t buy expensive US goods - because it is poor. So it has a very unbalanced trade balance - mostly exports to the US and few imports. Bangladesh gets a 37% tariff. Yet the trade overall is small, the impact is purely to make a poor country even more poor. Nice. Pretty much no impact for the US as the totals are so low.
This is not a reciprocal tariff. This is a one-way tariff. Looking at trade imbalance is not reciprocal, and in itself the tariff won’t solve the trade balance. Making Bangladesh poorer will not make it buy more US goods.
For a country where the notion that the customer is king, the US approach to their export customers is remarkably blinkered and not customer centred. It is supplier and production centric. So more communist than capitalist.
The most popular car brand here is Toyota but the biggest selling car in Australia is the Ford Ranger BUT it is not made in the USA it is made in Thailand, South Africa and Argentina
1. Toyota – 241,296 (+12.1%)
2. Ford – 100,170 (+14.1%)
3. Mazda – 95,987 (-4.0%)
4. Kia – 81,787 (+7.4%)
5. Mitsubishi – 74,547 (+17.4%)
6. Hyundai – 71,664 (-4.7%)
7. MG – 50,592 (-13.3%)
8. Isuzu Ute – 48,172 (+6.2%)
9. Nissan – 45,284 (+15.0%)
10. GWM – 42,782 (+17.5%)
.
I don’t think any Fords on sale in Australasia are made in the USA. Notice two Chinese brands MG and GWM (Great Wall Motors) in the top 10
That doesn’t work we buy more from the USA than we sell to them.
Perhaps Trump should have consulted you before applying the tariffs Lincs…
If that wasn’t clear to Americans who voted for the stool before it is becoming clear now that the country’s economy is nosediving and the entire planet wants nothing to do with US trade.
Are you in support of this overnight blanket tariff move by Trump, OGF?
Does this include the island that is inhabited only by penguins? I’m sure the penguins couldn’t give a flying ****
I stand in solidarity with the penguins on Heard and McDonald islands!
The DOW is down over 1300 points already today. Apparently, Wall Street doesn’t think these tariffs are going to be good for profits.
They are not reciprocal tariffs. They are tariffs.
The DOW is now down over 1400 points. Yikes!
For what it’s worth I haven’t been on a protest march for many a year.
If and when there is going to be an anti Trump demonstration in London I intend to be there.
Bring it on!
The DOW is down 1500 points! Holy crap!
[EDIT] Now 1600 points!
[EDIT] Now 1700 points!
[EDIT] It looks like people are buying now, so it’s back up to being down 1500 points.
Stay tuned for real time updates!
24 minutes long, makes some interesting points.
(50) Why Trump’s tariff chaos actually makes sense (big picture) - YouTube
There have been some major protests at the Tesla dealership not far from where I live. I’ve thought about participating but haven’t made it over there yet.
It seems like Musk’s role in the government will be coming to an end, but considering he literally gave a Nazi salute at one of his gatherings, I don’t think his brand is going to recover. Plus, Trump is targeting EVs with his policies, which is more bad news for Musk.
Heard at an anti-Tesla rally…
“We don’t want your Nazi cars! Take a one-way trip to mars!”
The in formation for the months of February and March show the economy has grown. I may not understand the term “nosediving”
Damn right I am Annie, we should do it here.
Foxy, we started all this, maybe it is time for a different approach assuming there is enough time left.
That was was an interesting video. Some of the things mentioned I knew was happening but I also learned a few things where the US was getting the s**to end of the stick.
Points I know about,
Reforger maneuver damage
US forces stations
China going through Mexico
Government bail outs