Trump Starts Global Tariff Wall, Thailand Hit with 36% Tax

[Walker88]

13 minutes ago, LetsGoJoe said:

Yup, there's a new Sheriff in town and he ain't interested in making friends. He's cleaning House. 🤠

And that sheriff is shooting himself in the foot, while his foot is in his mouth, and his head is up his ar$e.

 

[frank83628]

 

8 minutes ago, Gknrd said:

I bet you won't see any or much easing even when he is gone. Biden doubled down on China and didn't reverse many of the tariffs. So, time will tell. Personally I would say this is here to stay.

Yes, was all 'economic disaster' when Trump implements them,  when Biden kept many of them it didnt make the news cycle.... funnily enough

[NorthernRyland]

4 hours ago, jts-khorat said:

Again, look at why there is a surplus. You cannot "negotiate less" of it, a country would simply have to import more.

 

What are the goods that Thailand could import more, specifically? What is the US producing that it could sell in Thailand better than before?

I agree Thailand and US can not have balanced trade by any means.

 

However Thailand can still remove their tariffs and play fair. Why is this not a good thing?

[garzhe]

The U.S. trade tariffs have triggered significant stock market volatility, posing risks for both pension funds and consumer prices. These effects will be felt by retirees, investors, and everyday consumers.

 

Most US pension funds rely heavily on stock market investments.  The S&P 500 dropped over 8% since February 2025 and continues to drop, pension portfolios have likely suffered considerable declines. If market instability continues, underfunded pensions could struggle, forcing adjustments such as increased contributions from employees, reduced cost-of-living adjustments, or delayed retirement eligibility. I wonder if the average Trump supporter realizes whats happening to his pension.

 

I think this Trump/Oligarch strategy is simplistic, what do we all do when hit with a price hike, look elsewhere and apart from tech there’s not too much that cant be sourced outside the US.

 

[daejung]

4 hours ago, SHA 2 BKK said:

“U.S. goods exports to Australia in 2024 were $34.6 billion, up 3.1 percent ($1 billion) from 2023. U.S. goods imports from Australia totaled $16.7 billion in 2024, up 4.7 percent ($745.7 million) from 2023.”  US Trade Representative to Australia.

 

So even though the USA has a trade surplus with Australia, Australia is hit with a 10% tariff.  

Australia, a nation that has supported the USA in many efforts when called upon -from teams flown across the pacific to help fight forest fires to serving beside US troops in Korea, Vietnam (when most nations turned their backs on the US) Iraq 1 and 2 and Afghanistan.    We house highly secret US bases in Australia that help keep Americans safe.  
 

Yet our faithfulness and open trade with the USA (which works in America’s favour) is rewarded with a 10% tariff.
 

Apparently Big Pharma is cranky at Australias subsided Medicine System.    It’s a “barrier” to the rape and pillage approach in the American Health System.
 

I know and have served with many decent and Honourable Americans.  They are my friends.   The sadness in me stems from this.   Friends don’t treat friends like this.   

 

 

https://youtu.be/unSSHfIs3U0

 

[NoDisplayName]

4 hours ago, jts-khorat said:

 

Again, show us the source where Trump gets his crazy tariff numbers from. I think it does not exist, because it is just one more of his untruths.

 

It's not based on tariffs alone.  Look at the fancy board the president is holding up.

 

The list of evildoers has a column entitled "Tariffs Charged to the US" and in little letters he hopes you won't notice "including Currency Manipulation and Trade Barriers."

 

That way the numbers can be whatever he deems them to be!

 

He's a MAGAgician!

 

[Thaindrew]

23 minutes ago, frank83628 said:

Official ones were made in the US, buying from Amazon youre probably buying a copy

 

A factory in Adıyaman, Türkiye, has produced 100,000 hats specifically for Donald Trump ahead of the U.S. presidential elections in November. The hats, featuring the slogan "Make America Great Again," were exported to the United States in support of Trump's election campaign.

Labeled "Made in Türkiye," these hats were manufactured by Zirve Hat Factory, operating in the Gölbaşı Organized Industrial Zone in Adıyaman, after a production process that lasted about a week. The hats were then shipped to the U.S.

[MikeandDow]

16 minutes ago, Gknrd said:

Been hearing that forever, just listen to YouTube hahaha. 

thats what forums are for opinions,  only time will tell

[Walker88]

6 minutes ago, garzhe said:

The U.S. trade tariffs have triggered significant stock market volatility, posing risks for both pension funds and consumer prices. These effects will be felt by retirees, investors, and everyday consumers.

 

Most US pension funds rely heavily on stock market investments.  The S&P 500 dropped over 8% since February 2025 and continues to drop, pension portfolios have likely suffered considerable declines. If market instability continues, underfunded pensions could struggle, forcing adjustments such as increased contributions from employees, reduced cost-of-living adjustments, or delayed retirement eligibility. I wonder if the average Trump supporter realizes whats happening to his pension.

 

I think this Trump/Oligarch strategy is simplistic, what do we all do when hit with a price hike, look elsewhere and apart from tech there’s not too much that cant be sourced outside the US.

 

MAGAs in Red States are on SNAP, SSDI and Medicare. That is where they will feel it.

 

It's going to get ugly in TN, KY, WV and other Red States where the largest "employer" is SSDI.

[lordgrinz]

 

19 minutes ago, Gknrd said:

23 minutes ago, MikeandDow said:

America is heading for a depression like in 1929

Been hearing that forever, just listen to YouTube hahaha. 

 

I've been praying for this for some time now, please let it happen! 🙏

[Gknrd]

I just read the Thai PM has put together a team to address this.   Tariff's will be lowered for US goods to try and offset the Tariff's.

[Mark Nothing]

Trump loves grandstanding.  According to him this is liberation day.  Trump's declaration of economic independence will make America wealthy again. The objective seems to be to bring large scale manufacturing back onto domestic soil bypassing the need to import products.

[Gknrd]

3 minutes ago, lordgrinz said:

 

 

I've been praying for this for some time now, please let it happen! 🙏

Curious why you want it to happen?

[Thaindrew]

8 minutes ago, NoDisplayName said:

 

It's not based on tariffs alone.  Look at the fancy board the president is holding up.

 

The list of evildoers has a column entitled "Tariffs Charged to the US" and in little letters he hopes you won't notice "including Currency Manipulation and Trade Barriers."

 

That way the numbers can be whatever he deems them to be!

 

He's a MAGAgician!

 

 

from rough calcs its seems to go like this, take the EU, the trade deficit to the EU was 38.9% last year, rounded thats 39%, so thats the figure being used, the average duty PAID BY IMPORTERS (its not charged to the US) in the EU on USA goods is not 39%.

 

Also it should be remember countries don't just send these goods unannounced to the US, US companies place orders and import the stuff.

[Thaindrew]

5 minutes ago, Gknrd said:

I just read the Thai PM has put together a team to address this.   Tariff's will be lowered for US goods to try and offset the Tariff's.

whilst this might help, it won't close the trade gap, and from the percentages on Trumps chart thats how he's calculated the additional tariffs

[TheAppletons]

From the Wall Street Journal:

 

"There will certainly be higher costs for American consumers and businesses. Tariffs are taxes, and when you tax something you get less of it. Car prices will rise by thousands of dollars, including those made in America.

 

Mr. Trump is making a deliberate decision to transfer wealth from consumers to businesses and workers protected from competition behind high tariff walls."

 

and

 

"Over time this will mean the gradual erosion of U.S. competitiveness. Tariffs that blunt competition invite monopoly profits while reducing the need to innovate. This is the story of the American steel and car industries in the 1950s and 1960s before global competition exposed their deficiencies."

 

https://www.wsj.com/opinion/donald-trump-liberation-day-tariffs-protectionism-82d0aa3a

 

 

[NoDisplayName]

2 minutes ago, Thaindrew said:

 

from rough calcs its seems to go like this, take the EU, the trade deficit to the EU was 38.9% last year, rounded thats 39%, so thats the figure being used, the average duty PAID BY IMPORTERS (its not charged to the US) in the EU on USA goods is not 39%.

 

Also it should be remember countries don't just send these goods unannounced to the US, US companies place orders and import the stuff.

 

I suspect "trade barriers" is a catchall phrase that can mean anything Trump wants it to mean.

 

He's imposed 25% tariffs on imported cars as a reciprocal approach despite Thailand charging 80% and India charging 125%.

 

That's not reciprocal.

 

Let's ignore Japan and South Korea both imposing, wait for it.........0% tariffs on US cars and trucks.

[lordgrinz]

4 minutes ago, Gknrd said:

Curious why you want it to happen?

 

Those of us with cash on hand will buy up all the discounted securities.

[Ste78]

you need to check the Foreign trade barriers to see the REAL DATA!

 

It seems the Average rate in Thailand was 9.8% in 2023 !!

Only trade deficit was 72%

 

So US will tax 36% incoming goods, which is way more than 9.8 % Thailand apply for import!!

 

 

[Gknrd]

8 minutes ago, lordgrinz said:

 

Those of us with cash on hand will buy up all the discounted securities.

 Not sure I would wish a 29 style downturn on any country. But, a 20-30% correction will have me in in with you... I get goosebumps thinking about that... hahaha

[Thaindrew]

10 minutes ago, NoDisplayName said:

 

I suspect "trade barriers" is a catchall phrase that can mean anything Trump wants it to mean.

 

He's imposed 25% tariffs on imported cars as a reciprocal approach despite Thailand charging 80% and India charging 125%.

 

That's not reciprocal.

 

Let's ignore Japan and South Korea both imposing, wait for it.........0% tariffs on US cars and trucks.

 

8 minutes ago, Ste78 said:

you need to check the Foreign trade barriers to see the REAL DATA!

 

It seems the Average rate in Thailand was 9.8% in 2023 !!

Only trade deficit was 72%

 

So US will tax 36% incoming goods, which is way more than 9.8 %!!

 

 

 

yep its been presented as the US has been ripped off, look what we are paying in tariffs, but they are not tariff rates, they are trade gap rates, which occur for many reasons. The US wants China to reduce the trade gap but they cannot buy semi-conductors, military hardware etc (for good reasons) but they are US trade restrictions contributing to the trade imbalance and not factored in anywhere - he's created new and additional tariffs based purely on trade gaps.

 

 

 

 

[Ben Zioner]

6 hours ago, jonclark said:

An Thais and the rest of the world will shun American products.  How the Tesla stock price doing? 

Not only Thais, I've been looking at replacing  one of my ICEs and installing a battery pack for the house, Tesla is not out of the equation and  I'll go 100% Chinese. BYD is now better than Tesla anyhow. Elon is dead. A bit sad as I'll miss his space dreams.

[Gknrd]

7 minutes ago, Ben Zioner said:

Not only tax, looking at replacing  one of my ICEs and installing a battery pack for the house, Tesla is out I'll go 100% Chinese. BYD is now better than Tesla anyhow. Elon is dead. A bit sad as I'll miss his space dreams.

Starlink is now profitable as is SpaceX, Tesla could go tit's up and he will still be going to Mars. Although a 100 billion poorer he would not miss a beat.  Got to admire that guy, he has diversified to the point where if one fails it really doesn't bring him down.

[SHA 2 BKK]

4 hours ago, Yagoda said:

Four pages of screaming over the fact that we dont want to be ripped off. 

 

Our tariffs too high?  Lower yours. Easy.

 

 

But Australia has no Tariffs with the United States.  And the Prime Minister has announced Australia won’t reciprocate.   Indeed as I pointed out earlier the United States sells more to Australia than Australia exports to the US.  
 

There is a long standing Free Trade Agreement between the United States and Australia which Australia honors.  
 

So given there are no tariffs on US Exports to Australia and the US maintains a surplus with Australia, why has the US imposed a 10% on Australian exports to the US - tariffs which will be paid for by US consumers?

 

In the immortal words of Pauline Hanson “Please Explain”?

[xylophone]

6 hours ago, jonclark said:

The good old Trump. Every business he has attempted to run has failed miserably (Trump steaks, Trump University,Trump airlines etc etc). And people think this will Make America Wealthy. Nope America will just be cut out of the supply chain and it's consumers will pay more. Americans think America is too big to fail..well I think Trump with his business acumen will test that theory. Yanks just don't coming running to the rest of the world when it all goes tits up. 

Market economists consider protectionism and the distortion of market competition to be among the key failings of last century’s socialist policies.

 

It’s odd to see the great capitalist champion Trump and the Republicans (the party of Ronald Reagan) pursuing a failed socialist policy.

 

Since the 1980s, a large consensus of economists has argued freer trade has resulted in greater global economic growth.

 

Trump seems to believe in American exceptionalism and the idea it can grow its economy better in isolation.

 

Perhaps he’ll have some short-term success wielding US political might in this fashion.

History (and classical economics) suggests it won’t work in the long run.

 

[Taboo2]

After a few years in retirement here, I tell Americans that I do not need any military expert, historian, phd's in economics, science, engineering, no war expert and definitely no relationship expert for advice.  All I have to do is smoke some green and turn to this site and get all the answers I need from Expats. 

 

Today, I am getting all the info from "Trade and Tariff" experts....

 

Everyone is soooo smart today.

 

Amazing....wish I had retired in my 20's...could have made millions by visiting this website.

[puck2]

5 hours ago, Harrisfan said:

Whinge whinge. If Trump cured cancer still whinge.

 

Trump isn't  able to cure cancer, he has it in his brain! That's the problem we "whinge" about. 😲

[Patong2021]

6 hours ago, hotsun said:

Americans will simply not buy products from Thailand. Thai businesses will be forced to either shut down or move to the US

 

The USA  does not manufacture the high volume, low profit margin  products that Thailand provides. Where will the USA source its

-Electrical Apparatus for Line Telephony or Line Telegraphy

-Diodes, Transistors and Similar Semi-conductor Devices

-Electrical Transformers, Static Converters and Inductors

- Transmission Apparatus For Radiotelephony, Tv, Cameras, Cordless Telephones

- Small electrical appliances

and other low profit labour intensive  items?

 

Where will the USA source rlow cost latex/ubber if it not from Thailand and Malaysia?

 

Are you going to ask  US consumers to give up their cheap cooked, shelled and deveined shrimp? The food indystry is dependent on it. What about tuna? Are people going to stop eating tuna and other seafood products?

 

How wil Republicans  clutch their pearls when their largest supplier is no longer a source?

 

All of the products exported to the USA meet a demand and a cost point. They are not being purchased for charitable purposes.

[kimothai]

5 hours ago, dinsdale said:

Lots of hype about this. Let's see what happens 6 months in. 

Yeah, you just mention Trump or Musk and lefty heads explode. I'm all for wait and see. Starting to see buying opportunities in the stock market with this long overdue sell off. 

[Lacessit]

32 minutes ago, Mark Nothing said:

Trump loves grandstanding.  According to him this is liberation day.  Trump's declaration of economic independence will make America wealthy again. The objective seems to be to bring large scale manufacturing back onto domestic soil bypassing the need to import products.

Large scale manufacturing requires billions in capital investment.

 

Who is going to be nuts enough to invest in a country with an unstable leader and a polarized nation?