Rantburg

Today's Front Page   View All of Fri 05/30/2025 View Thu 05/29/2025 View Wed 05/28/2025 View Tue 05/27/2025 View Mon 05/26/2025 View Sun 05/25/2025 View Sat 05/24/2025
2025-04-03 Great White North
Ontario Premier Ford: Canada Will Drop All Tariffs if Trump Does
Objective achieved.
[BREITBART] Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Wednesday on CNBC's ''Squawk Box'' that if President Donald Trump
...Perhaps no man has ever had as much fun being president of the US...
removes tariffs, Canada will drop all of their tariffs.

Host Andrew Ross Sorkin said, ''Do you expect this to be a negotiation? meaning there has been a sense, implied or otherwise, that we're going to hear a number, whether it's 20% or something else, as a sort of top, and that if folks like yourself come forward and say, you know what, we're going to take some tariffs off of this and we're going to do this, perhaps that those tariff numbers come down?''

Ford said, ''Well, let's hope so. Let's sit down and discuss this because it's just going to hurt American jobs. I can't stress it enough and you know again he believes he's supporting Americans. He said he was going to create jobs, create wealth, reduce inflation it's worked the total opposite.''

Ross Sorkin said, ''But do you think it's fair that you have tariffs on a whole number of products.''

Ford said, ''That's right. And we'd be willing to take those off tomorrow if he took all the tariffs off. We are not the problem. Andrew do you know the problem is? China is the problem. And he's taking a blind eye to China as they continue to build their critical mass. We have all the critical minerals that our great neighbors need. we have the energy that our great neighbors need.''

Ross Sorkin said, ''I just want to go back for a moment. If, in fact, you're prepared to take your tariffs off, why wouldn't you have that negotiation and that conversation now before any tariffs get put in place?''

Ford said, ''Well, we've had we've had this conversation for over the last month we don't want tariffs. We have another $65 billion with a tariffs to launch today. That's the last thing we want to do because it's just again it's going to hurt both countries. It's going to hurt American workers.''
Posted by Fred 2025-04-03 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11186 views ]  Top

#1 I think I've lost any faith I might have had in U.S. government economic wisdom.


The math:

It's trade deficit divided by their exports.
EU: exports 605.8, imports 370.2, deficit -235.6.
-235.6/605.8 = 39%. "Reciprocal tariff is 20%)

If trade deficit is 10% or less (including surplus), 10% are applied, even for islands with no inhabitants.

Sorry folks, Trump should have chosen April 1st for this (and I'm being polite here).

Posted by European Conservative 2025-04-03 06:26||   2025-04-03 06:26|| Front Page Top

#2 The other math is focused on unemployment. Pay a higher price for goods but reduce unemployment and the inefficient bureaucracy that maintains it or pay a lower price for goods and increase unemployment and the inefficient bureaucracy for sustaining it. Social stability is greater in the former state rather then in the latter state.
Posted by Procopius2k 2025-04-03 07:11||   2025-04-03 07:11|| Front Page Top

#3 
From a different Viewpoint.

The Art Of The Deal wins again.

Always deal from a strong position.

Never go into a deal already with stated compromise offerings.

Make the competitor work to your agreeable outcome.

============

Does it work 100% of the time?

NO.

But even the far fewer failures there are, usually result in FAR better results, than what KISSING A$$ would have gotten.
Posted by NN2N1 2025-04-03 07:16||   2025-04-03 07:16|| Front Page Top

#4 What would happen to Canada if a province becomes a state? WOuld the whole federal government collapse and need to be replaced?
Posted by BrerRabbit 2025-04-03 07:37||   2025-04-03 07:37|| Front Page Top

#5 "The Art Of The Deal wins again."

I don't think so. In Trump's world, someone has to lose when he wins. This may work in NY real estate, it doesn't work for world economy. Trump can only think of "others are ripping us off", because that's what he likes to do himself.

But trade should be beneficial for both side. A good "deal" is a win for both.

My U.S. customers don't feel "cheated". They buy a good product they need and pay a fair price for it. The U.S. doesn't produce it, so now they will have to pay the tariff that comes with it. I'm not going to lower my price one cent. My price is fair.

So the U.S. government is ripping off its own people. Enjoy.
Posted by European Conservative 2025-04-03 07:54||   2025-04-03 07:54|| Front Page Top

#6 I don't apparently buy your product, EC, so continuing not to buy it won't phase me. Your customers will look for other sources if your price + tariff is too high. Enjoy.
Posted by Frank G 2025-04-03 08:08||   2025-04-03 08:08|| Front Page Top

#7 My price is fair.

Psychology Says: Make Your Pricing Fair (or at least appear that way)
Posted by Skidmark 2025-04-03 08:38||   2025-04-03 08:38|| Front Page Top

#8 But then the Senate votes to nullify the Tariff deal with Canada after Canada had already capitulated, thus snatching defeat from victory yet again. Thank McConnel and the usual coven of turncoats.
Posted by Rex Mundi 2025-04-03 09:15||   2025-04-03 09:15|| Front Page Top

#9 "I don't apparently buy your product, EC, so continuing not to buy it won't phase me."

What car do you drive?
Posted by European Conservative 2025-04-03 09:16||   2025-04-03 09:16|| Front Page Top

#10 F-150. Drink up!
Posted by Frank G 2025-04-03 09:18||   2025-04-03 09:18|| Front Page Top

#11 2010 F-150 4.6L @ 189,000 miles, runs like a top. Purchased with 22,000 miles for $18,000 in 2012. Like to have a new one but like to have the $75,000 better.

Maybe next year.

Posted by Besoeker 2025-04-03 09:29||   2025-04-03 09:29|| Front Page Top

#12 "Back in the 1960s, for example, the U.S. was unhappy with a German tax on imported chicken, so in retaliation, policymakers imposed a 25% tariff on all imported pickup trucks.

That pickup truck tariff is still in place more than 50 years later. Until this week, it was ten times the tax on imported cars.

As a result, domestic carmakers have focused on building big pickup trucks that don't face foreign competition, while largely ignoring the more hotly contested market for sedans."

https://www.npr.org/2025/04/02/nx-s1-5348033/us-economy-tariffs-trump
Posted by European Conservative 2025-04-03 09:33||   2025-04-03 09:33|| Front Page Top

#13 

Purchased a 2019 Dodge Journey (Canada package) in Oct 2019 $16,595.00.

The 2025 model, with the same basic option package, now would cost around $22,995.00. Which a 35.50% markup over the 5 years.

Did we get COLAS equal to 35.5% during the Biden Admin?
Posted by NN2N1 2025-04-03 09:58||   2025-04-03 09:58|| Front Page Top

#14 Very happy with my Cadillac Escalade (2024).
This is all so stupid.
Posted by European Conservative 2025-04-03 10:04||   2025-04-03 10:04|| Front Page Top

#15 Ford offering employee pricing to all customers amid consumer 'uncertainty'


Car dealer reveals the trick you can use to buy a cheaper car before Trump tariffs drive prices up
Posted by Skidmark 2025-04-03 10:29||   2025-04-03 10:29|| Front Page Top

#16  In Trump's world, someone has to lose when he wins.

Although Mr Trump and I have never spoken, I do not think he looks at things that way. A deal is a win-win, both parties get something and are better off than before the deal. Otherwise, why make it?

What is Trump's goal here? What is the desired end state?
Possibly to wreck the world economy, though I rate that one real low. Amidst the chaos and noise, we see certain of our trading partners dropping tariffs altogether. Is it possible the end goal is a free trade network with no tariffs whatsoever?

Governments impose tariffs to protect domestic industries from foreign competition. Sometimes, it is an industry considered strategic, like rice in Japan. Sometimes, to appease or reward political friends, like a worker's union. And let us not forget the government revenue aspect - why tax your own citizens when you can tax foreigners? Either way, it is a market distortion.

It will be interesting to see where this ends up.
Posted by SteveS 2025-04-03 11:11||   2025-04-03 11:11|| Front Page Top

#17 Possibly to wreck the world economy

'Attack on the Global Trade Order' Cries German Chancellor
Posted by Skidmark 2025-04-03 11:13||   2025-04-03 11:13|| Front Page Top

#18 Very happy with my Cadillac Escalade (2024).
This is all so stupid.
Posted by: European Conservative

In 2021 when my 2001 Chevy Tahoe died (350,000 miles) I bought a 2021 GLE450. GM was gouging on the large SUV market due to covid and it was cheaper to buy the Mercedes than a Tahoe. Mrs Unvaxed drives mostly.
Posted by The Walking Unvaxed 2025-04-03 11:35||   2025-04-03 11:35|| Front Page Top

#19 Our best, most reliable ally today is Japan. Happily they make great cars, with an eye toward continuous improvement, and they build them in the USA.
Posted by Regular joe 2025-04-03 13:42||   2025-04-03 13:42|| Front Page Top

00:40 Frank G









Paypal:
Google
Search WWW Search rantburg.com