BBC report on trade war cost to Americans

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-44567636



$500 extra per year.

Rick Helfenbein, president and chief executive officer of the American Apparel & Footwear Association, says the average family of four in the US will pay at least an extra $500 a year to buy consumer products affected by the tariffs.

Fair? Misleading?



The next year will be interesting to watch as foreign retaliation tariffs start affecting American farmers and factory workers. It could lead to a rise in Trumpism, or his downfall.

I keep seeing stories about the costs and negative impacts/externalities of the tariffs and duties.



What I would like to see is someone do the work and weigh those negatives against any positives and give us a better idea of the net.

snoscythe wrote:

I keep seeing stories about the costs and negative impacts/externalities of the tariffs and duties.



What I would like to see is someone do the work and weigh those negatives against any positives and give us a better idea of the net.

No offense but it seems a bit short sighted to want to base your opinion on the entire picture. Life is much much better when you use partial information to get mad as hell at things by falling for other people's agendas.

I suppose if you’re a steel worker you’re thinking good thoughts. If you’re a nail manufacturer, not so much.....

snoscythe wrote:

I keep seeing stories about the costs and negative impacts/externalities of the tariffs and duties.



What I would like to see is someone do the work and weigh those negatives against any positives and give us a better idea of the net.

That argument was won by the free traders at least since the beginning of the 20th century if not earlier.



It's already getting dicey for any company that makes things with steel and aluminum, and some are already laying people off because of the higher price of the steel.



http://money.cnn.com/2018/06/29/news/companies/tariffs-companies-exclusions/index.html



If you want an idea about net effect of just these tariffs consider that there are countless more industries and jobs that rely on making things with steel and aluminum than there are those that produce it.



And many of the tariffs haven't been implemented yet but a host of them between the US and China go into effect at the end of this week which will mean higher prices for consumers on lots of things.



Trump is his own worst enemy on this. The economy is good right now. Stupid to mess with it.

This article makes a very strong argument against tariffs.



https://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/trumps-trade-wars-are-incoherent-angry-misguided