More Tariffs? Commerce Secretary Indentifies Half Of European Trade Deficit Is Automobiles

Clamp down if no reciprocity can be found to erase the deficit.

American consumers should be punished because US makers don't offer compelling product? It's a free market. If you can't compete you should not complain about a trade deficit. A 10% hike in the price of a Benz or BMW won't make that buyer get a Cadillac or a Lincoln. It is a losing strategy.

"...half of our trade deficit comes from the single product, automotive, and about the other half of our trade deficit comes from a geographic area and that’s called China..."

So we tariff China on stuff that's no longer made in US, but we did nothing but watching our huge automobile industry bleeds. This simply doesn't make sense

Just do it!

You can't force another country to buy crap cars.

That comment (1) shows that you are stupid and (2) are utterly clueless about the dynamics. You must be a Socialist-Communist Democrat.

Good for Trump trying to right a wrong. No you can't force other countries to buy your shitty cars but they can buy more beef, pork, soy beans and other staples to help erase a selfish one way $360 Billion annual trade deficit (China). The free loading Europeans can do the same as well rather than use the US for free Military protection and one way trade with the US (Germany) -if you want to sell it here -BUILD IT HERE or pay your fair share of tariffs or buy more US shit. That simple!

China is the biggest cheater EVER. They deliberately manipulate and tank their currency to be more competitive and steal you IP to compete against you with state funded companies. They tax the shit out of any type of imports but demand "Most Favoured Nation" status so they only get hit with a 2% Import Duty but Tesla's and their exploding batteries are taxed at 25% -yeah that's fair!

Yes tariffs make crap more expensive for the host county consumers but that is what it is suppose to do -make it less attractive so that domestic product replaces it or other country of origin. Tariffs are a discretionary tool of governments to make trade more fair. Why should only China or Germany get all the benefit of US consumerism? Trade needs to be reciprocal.

The US should tax ALL Chinese imports 25% or more until the trade deficit balances and China drops its tariffs on US goods which would help reduce the deficit. Yes this would make lots of products more expensive but could create much more US jobs to make these things onshore instead. This won't happen though as all China wants is one way trade and they want ALL the marbles. The only things they buy is shit they can't produce or make there or they would have 0 imports.

China is the monster that America created (Walmart) but they need to be bitchslapped hard and put back into their place before the monster gets any bigger or hungrier.

qwertyfla1..

Thank you for your rant.. I would agree if one thing were clsrified or not done by the USA. However since it is somethign the US does and has been doing ever since your currency was taken off the Gold standard then the staus quo should remain.
Each year the Federal reserve cyces money out of thin air into the banking system, which gets used in effect to buy goods from other countries like China or chountries in the EU. I effect the USA is the biggest inflator or currency manipulator in the world.. exporting infaktion around the world.. because 1) oil is demanded to be traded in US Dolar 2) alot of commodities is demanded to be traded in US Dollars. Look what haooned to countried that tried to sell its oil in anything other than the US dollar ?? ( that's a different topic for a different conversation).
don;t you know the biggest trade deicit between the USA with China has been caused by US companies themselves. China has overtekn USA in many areas e.g. In 5G companies like Huawei & ZTE etc. hold roughly 34% of essential patents. Chonese conpanies spend much more on R&D than USA.. The average consumer - joe public in USA have no clue and are just fed info by the US government to support their narrative. You are behind Chona and taht is a fact. This fact is measured by the patent system that the west predominantley administers, so we cannot cry foul. There are many other areas the west is falling behind. Instead of blaming other we should try harder. We cannot just rely on the sophistatcations of our financial systems. of which the side consequences means only the top 1% really benefits..

calling for currenc wars to be fairier means calling for USA to lead in this, will they ???

True and good points but basically almost every country has fiat currency now and even the Swiss are only 50% gold backed. For these reasons and more I am bullish on having actual physical gold and not certificates. Every country cheats including Uncle Sam but China takes it to a whole new level.

I have high precision brass parts made in China for my business for 1/10th of what I was paying before and I couldn't buy the raw bar stock cheaper than I buy the finished goods for. I don't know how they do it aside from Gov subsidies? nor do I give a shit but I do take advantage of it or I'd be out of business as all my competition is 100% offshore whereas I still do full assembly in Canada. I am incorporated in Hong Kong though as their tax system is fantastic.

Domestic car manufacturers raise their own prices the second tariffs are announced. We have been here before back in the 80’s with Reagan and the Japanese quotas. When Reagan limited the number of Japanese cars into the US Ford and GM raised their own prices. The minute the Germans are hit with tariffs they will raise their own prices again.