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

[LosLobo]

1 hour ago, digger70 said:

If you believe that than there's something wrong with you.  

Maybe believe it.

https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-tariffs-australia-liberation-day-2054649

[GammaGlobulin]

2 hours ago, jas007 said:

Much ado about nothing.  The affected countries will likely lower their tariffs.  What's made in America these days, in any event?  Trump's term will be over before the world economy adjusts in any significant way.

 

In the meantime, enjoy the stock market discount.  As usual, the idiots are overreacting. 

 

 

 

Trump, in this shot, reminds me of the great film... PATTON....

 

Same backdrop of the red and white strips.

 

Where is George C Scott, when we need him?

 

 

[chercheur888]

Wow Wow Wow, they will really suffer: 😂

"Donald Trump drew mockery on Wednesday for including two remote islands near Antarctica on his list of countries (even though they are not countries) that will now be hit with steep, new tariffs as part of his so-called “Liberation Day.”

The president slapped a 10% tariff on all products that are imported from the mostly barren, volcanic Heard and McDonald Islands.

They are uninhabited by humans, take days to travel to (only by boat) from Australia and are home to penguins and seals, and has a fishery."

[thaibreaker]

28 minutes ago, Felt 35 said:

What we are now seeing is an empire that is tottering because its military spending and imbalances in world trade are too great. The United States is now at a crossroads, which is quite normal when a country has dominated the world for around 150 years. Wars and military spending, combined with a skewed trade balance, have broken the backs of all other empires before them.

The United States has to do something to try to reduce its trade deficit, it is simply not sustainable. The United States also has to distance itself from Europe in order to make Europe take more responsibility for its own security.

For the United States, it is of course tempting to print ever more money to finance its overspending and wars, but that will probably lead to the downfall of the country. The only chance for the United States to survive is to take a step back and hand over a greater part of the power and responsibility to others. Europe undoubtedly has the capabilities and resources to take on greater international responsibility, the question is whether Europe has politicians who understand the game and are willing to take responsibility... I hope so, because we certainly do not benefit from China taking over the role of the United States as the world's most powerful nation.

Otherwise, I don't like Trump, but he may be the right man for the job...

 

One of the biggest downfall for the US the coming years, will be a direct result of Trump's foreign policy, a result of Europe (and Australia, Canada and South Korea) standing on their complete own. No European countries will buy American weapons anymore, as soon as the weapons industry will be up and running well enough in Europe. We already got the planes, we got so much already, and a spike in military spending to 3-4 % of BNP, will put the rest in place within a few years. No one will order F-35s anymore, or anything made in the US. Trump and this administration have chosen this all by themselves.

 

This will be a huge blow for the US, a blow no one in this administration did see coming. A trillion dollar industry will be isolated, and compared to today, crushed into pieces.

[thaibreaker]

14 minutes ago, chercheur888 said:

Wow Wow Wow, they will really suffer: 😂

"Donald Trump drew mockery on Wednesday for including two remote islands near Antarctica on his list of countries (even though they are not countries) that will now be hit with steep, new tariffs as part of his so-called “Liberation Day.”

The president slapped a 10% tariff on all products that are imported from the mostly barren, volcanic Heard and McDonald Islands.

They are uninhabited by humans, take days to travel to (only by boat) from Australia and are home to penguins and seals, and has a fishery."

Funny enough, this gave me a laugh. Those penguins..

But this island is under Australia, so I guess this is a tariff to prevent a loophole to use as an address, to avoid any tariff.

[thaibreaker]

2 hours ago, Digitalbanana said:

The Donald is literally holding up a sign full of lies. The column labeled "Tariffs Charged To The US" including for example 72% for Thailand is complete lies. 72% is a trade imbalance, not tariff! Some idiots think this is one and the same thing. The reason why Thailand sends more stuff to the US than the US sends here is common market sense, something a Donald follower does not seem to possess.

This is BS and DECEPTION at the highest level, as it doesn't get any higher than the White House. The trade imbalances described as "tariffs" by the White House in this context are based on goods only, not goods and services. This selective focus allows them to maximize the perceived deficit, justify higher tariffs, and target physical imports, but it also opens them up to accusations of cherry-picking data. If you’re looking at real-world trade, like a Thai person buying from Amazon, the situation is more complex—services (like Amazon’s cloud computing) and digital goods might not face tariffs at all, while physical goods could face the 7% import duty, which is unrelated to the White House’s 72% figure.

Finally one who have understood how these insane numbers were picked. These numbers are not the tariff the countries have against the US, this is solely the imbalance of trade between the two countries. They even admit that is what this is. 

It's not Thailand's, or any other countries' fault that their consumers are not importing as much as they export to the US. There will always be some imbalance between import and export.

 

This whole thing is absurd.

[LosLobo]

The ideocracy continues .........besides penguins polar bears.
 

 

[Hamus Yaigh]

2 hours ago, Digitalbanana said:

The Donald is literally holding up a sign full of lies.

The President's claim about "Foreign Tariffs" is indeed misleading, as the percentages listed actually represent trade balances, not tariffs. This distinction is crucial, as trade balances refer to the difference between a country's imports and exports, whereas tariffs are taxes imposed on imported goods.
Presenting false information can be considered a serious offense, especially when done by the President. However, whether this specific incident constitutes an impeachable offense is a matter of interpretation.
Impeachable offenses are typically considered "high crimes and misdemeanors," a phrase outlined in the US Constitution. While there's no clear consensus on what this entails, it generally refers to serious abuses of power, corruption, or dereliction of duty.
In this case, the President's action could be seen as a misrepresentation of facts, which might be considered a breach of public trust. However, it's uncertain whether this would rise to the level of an impeachable offense.
It's worth noting that the President's trade policies, including tariffs and trade balances, have been a subject of controversy and debate.

[LosLobo]

35 minutes ago, thaibreaker said:

One of the biggest downfall for the US the coming years, will be a direct result of Trump's foreign policy, a result of Europe (and Australia, Canada and South Korea) standing on their complete own. No European countries will buy American weapons anymore, as soon as the weapons industry will be up and running well enough in Europe. We already got the planes, we got so much already, and a spike in military spending to 3-4 % of BNP, will put the rest in place within a few years. No one will order F-35s anymore, or anything made in the US. Trump and this administration have chosen this all by themselves.

 

This will be a huge blow for the US, a blow no one in this administration did see coming. A trillion dollar industry will be isolated, and compared to today, crushed into pieces.

Europe isn’t starting from scratch—SAAB, BAE Systems, Airbus, Dassault, Leonardo, and Rheinmetall already produce top-tier military equipment. But while Europe is making strides toward defense independence, the idea that U.S. weapons will be completely replaced in the near future is premature.
 

Fighter jets like Tempest and FCAS are in development, but the F-35 is already deeply integrated into NATO and Asia-Pacific forces, making an immediate shift unlikely. Tanks and armored vehicles from Rheinmetall and BAE Systems are competitive, but U.S. logistical dominance still plays a major role in NATO operations. Similarly, while European missile defense systems exist, the U.S. still leads in cutting-edge tech like the Patriot and THAAD, which even Germany and Poland continue to buy.
 

The transition away from U.S. arms won’t happen overnight. Trump’s foreign policy has pushed Europe toward self-reliance, but full military independence will take decades. The U.S. defense industry isn’t facing an immediate collapse, but in 10-20 years, if Europe’s projects succeed, America’s dominance in arms exports could take a serious hit.

[Thaindrew]

58 minutes ago, thaibreaker said:

Finally one who have understood how these insane numbers were picked. These numbers are not the tariff the countries have against the US, this is solely the imbalance of trade between the two countries. They even admit that is what this is. 

It's not Thailand's, or any other countries' fault that their consumers are not importing as much as they export to the US. There will always be some imbalance between import and export.

 

This whole thing is absurd.

correct, how can the expectation be that the much smaller Thai population can buy as many imports as a much larger USA population, its an insane method of calculation that he has adopted, compare population size, average wage etc - many Thais on $10 a day how much would Trump like them to spend on American imports from that? If they spent all of it on imported US goods the trade would still not be in balance 

[vincent13]

13 hours ago, jts-khorat said:

 

Is it true though, that Thailand has an average tariff of 90% or even just 72% on US goods? I call bullsh*t.

 

Wherever Trump has the numbers from, I could not find a single statistic that comes even close to those numbers. So maybe it would be nice if one of his followers could enlighten us with such a source?

 

This is what the Bangkok Post had to say: https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/general/2993202/us-tariffs-expected-to-dent-thai-gdp

 

 

Thailand uses non-tariff barriers such as excise which greatly increase the price of many imported goods.

[Middle Aged Grouch]

If Thailand wants to survive.

 

1. Stop putting such high tax on imports.

2. After reducing the import duty, negotiate with America.

3. Stop overcharging customers on anything from the price tags in malls to the other prices that are applied to foreigners.

 

Stop greed, Stop cheating foreigners. Things (may) improve.

 

In the meantime, good news as the Bhat is crashing and will crash further.

[skraach]

13 hours ago, jts-khorat said:

 

Is it true though, that Thailand has an average tariff of 90% or even just 72% on US goods? I call bullsh*t.

 

Wherever Trump has the numbers from, I could not find a single statistic that comes even close to those numbers. So maybe it would be nice if one of his followers could enlighten us with such a source?

 

This is what the Bangkok Post had to say: https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/general/2993202/us-tariffs-expected-to-dent-thai-gdp

 

 

 

It's all in here if you can read Thai: https://tariffeservice.customs.go.th

[thaibreaker]

1 hour ago, LosLobo said:

Europe isn’t starting from scratch—SAAB, BAE Systems, Airbus, Dassault, Leonardo, and Rheinmetall already produce top-tier military equipment. But while Europe is making strides toward defense independence, the idea that U.S. weapons will be completely replaced in the near future is premature.
 

Fighter jets like Tempest and FCAS are in development, but the F-35 is already deeply integrated into NATO and Asia-Pacific forces, making an immediate shift unlikely. Tanks and armored vehicles from Rheinmetall and BAE Systems are competitive, but U.S. logistical dominance still plays a major role in NATO operations. Similarly, while European missile defense systems exist, the U.S. still leads in cutting-edge tech like the Patriot and THAAD, which even Germany and Poland continue to buy.
 

The transition away from U.S. arms won’t happen overnight. Trump’s foreign policy has pushed Europe toward self-reliance, but full military independence will take decades. The U.S. defense industry isn’t facing an immediate collapse, but in 10-20 years, if Europe’s projects succeed, America’s dominance in arms exports could take a serious hit.

Of course it won't happen overnight. No one said it would. But I think you are missing the impact this already has on American weapon industry. This is about when the orders stop coming. And that is already happening, after Trump's impact on America. There are countries today, who are ordering planes, delivered a few years ahead, from Sweden. The Jas 39 Gripen is a highly sophisticated and modern fighter jet. Colombia did it today actually, Brazil has done it, Thailand just did, and the Czech Republic. Even the UK. More will follow. 

 

When Norway decided to go for F-35, we actually had second thoughts, the Gripen almost became our choice. Today its no doubt, we won't order anything more from the US. And many countries think like us.

 

So this is already having an impact. It won't take two decades to make a huge hit on the American weapons industry. Not at all.

[Elkski]

Why are some of these tariffs so high on American goods?   Wouldnt totally free trade be the ultimate goal?   Or do the richer countries need to support 3rd countries out of morality?   Not much I can do but ride this derailed train wreck.  

I just don't 💬 think many companies are going to invest in production in the US partly because things can change again in 3 years and I don't think we have the hard workers willing to do factory type work. 

First thing  wife said after seeing 36% on FB was about her imported rice and fish sauce.   

I also have not doubt the Asian stores and all retailers will be raising prices immediately in current inventory and even shipments already through customs.   If we think retailers used COVID to profit here come unbridled greedy.  

[Gknrd]

15 minutes ago, Elkski said:

Why are some of these tariffs so high on American goods?   Wouldnt totally free trade be the ultimate goal?   Or do the richer countries need to support 3rd countries out of morality?   Not much I can do but ride this derailed train wreck.  

I just don't 💬 think many companies are going to invest in production in the US partly because things can change again in 3 years and I don't think we have the hard workers willing to do factory type work. 

First thing  wife said after seeing 36% on FB was about her imported rice and fish sauce.   

I also have not doubt the Asian stores and all retailers will be raising prices immediately in current inventory and even shipments already through customs.   If we think retailers used COVID to profit here come unbridled greedy.  

Personally I don't think it has much to do with tariffs. The US is pulling out of world protector mode. That is an expensive job that the US does not want anymore.  They want supply chains closer to home, Mexico Canada, South America. The real growth will be in Mexico and South America IMHO. Trump is just accelirating the isolation.  (Pretty much saying take care of yourself from here on out. We don't care anymore). Curious to see how this plays out. 

 

You can already see what is going on in the Middle East, Russia Ukraine. That is a shi$ show. With the US pulling out it is going to be a mess.  

 

He is already double downing on the North American continent. Panama!, anything that might threaten the new global order. North America will be the safest place to be in the world. It is now. Companies will flock in. 

[still kicking]

And there’s at least one big problem with hitting the Heard Islands hard on the tariff front: humans don’t live there.

US Tariffs: Why Donald Trump came after Australia’s antarctic penguins | news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site

He lost his marbels 

[Elkski]

Plus trump needs the pay for his continuation of the tax cuts for his rich buddies.   

Interestingly tariffs accounted for 90% of the US federal Budget back 250 years ago before income tax.  

I'm pretty sure most Americans see the country list with the high tariffs in place on American imports and can't blame Trump for imposing much less on these countries.  

Trump does seem like he is supporting North and S America.   Maybe he wants a strong land mass.   Any investment South of the border should lower the influx of border crossings.   

I already feel some upward pressure in the labor market as I think many have left.   No data on this just my feeling in seeking labor recently.  

[still kicking]

American hamburger lovers in trouble

https://resources.news.com.au/author-profiles/39ec2d73-36e1-4066-ab3c-79a30d840912.png

Chantelle Francis

Australian economist Richard Denniss says it is Americans who love our Aussie beef who will be the ones actually hurt by Donald Trump’s tariffs.

“I think this is a much bigger day for Americans who eat hamburgers than it is for Australia’s economy,” the executive director of The Australia Institute told CNN.

“If they now want to pay more for it… That’s a ‘them’ problem, not an Australia problem.”

The Australia Institute is a public policy think tank based in Canberra.

[metisdead]

Posts using derogatory and toxic nicknames or intentional misspelling of people’s names will be removed. If you don’t want your post to be removed, spell people’s names correctly, this applies to both sides of the political debate.

[LosLobo]

Before the election, Trump, a McDonald's fan, claimed Biden would eliminate hamburgers, a fatal blow to Trump, but perhaps a blessing for those downwind.
 

Yet, ironically his 10% tariff on Australia will increase the cost of McDonald's burgers, a major consumer of the Australian beef, possibly making some consumers choose an alternative.

This 10% tariff on Australia stems from their rejection of U.S. beef due to concerns about BDE (Mad Cow Disease).

Any price increase is essentially a tax on ordinary consumers—something Trump, a billionaire, will never notice.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/world/the-unsettling-reason-australia-refuses-to-buy-american-beef/ar-AA1CaV8T

[captain_shane]

4 hours ago, black tabby12345 said:

Does he really know Who Pays the Tariff?

 

It is the importers of the foreign goods.

Not the exporters.

 

So higher tariff means, greater amount of financial burden(Import Taxes) on own population.

 

 

A lot of trinket sellers will drop prices. Corporations will as well. You don't get it, corporations import cheap products like tshirts from bangladesh for $1 and sell them for $25, the tariff is like $0.35 it's not a big deal and they'll eat the costs.

[captain_shane]

3 hours ago, Lacessit said:

Garbage is still garbage, irrespective of the name.

 

Please tell me one American product the average consumer can't do without.

Coca-cola

[whiteman]

good time to buy gold with the now p[rice drop today :)

[captain_shane]

1 hour ago, Middle Aged Grouch said:

If Thailand wants to survive.

 

1. Stop putting such high tax on imports.

2. After reducing the import duty, negotiate with America.

3. Stop overcharging customers on anything from the price tags in malls to the other prices that are applied to foreigners.

 

Stop greed, Stop cheating foreigners. Things (may) improve.

 

In the meantime, good news as the Bhat is crashing and will crash further.

He wants IP laws enforced too. MBK Center in Bangkok was specifically listed as a top offender selling counterfeit products.

[Gknrd]

3 minutes ago, captain_shane said:

He wants IP laws enforced too. MBK Center in Bangkok was specifically listed as a top offender selling counterfeit products.

Chinese knock off's, you will never stop that ever! 

[Mason45]

Trump is like a hemorrhoid, he's a total pain the ass.

[Gknrd]

Ohhh my, time to jump in a tiny bit... My Mexico holdings are surging and have offset all my US losses.. GBOOY, FMX, WMMVY.... S&P now at a - 4%. I am buying the S&P... Too later for you guys to cash in on Mexico!   But sadly my Intel stock is tanking again... ugggg. But, fun to speculate.

[papa al]

5 hours ago, chrisbangkok said:

What is it that USA exports that is so sought after in Thailand ? Can't be the crappy poor quality cars they make , Hardly Davidsons for the ultra rich or  is it the chemically converted chicken and beef , maybe Boeings with bits falling off or inability to fly straight ? 

 

dunno

you seem emotional

& silly.

You can search all that info.

Thai collects $7.3-billion+ tariff  on imports from usa, annually .

Thailand would prolly buy more stuff without the 73% tariff

dont you think.?

This want trumpster is pushing for.

simple

[papa al]

17 minutes ago, Mason45 said:

Trump is like a hemorrhoid, he's a total pain the ass.

clever are you