Steel Tariffs.... A Shot Across the Bow

[Jeff '79]

25% Tariffs on imported steel ??? 10% on aluminium ???
Wow...
Will China and the rest of the steel dumpers ban I-Phones in their countries and enact tariffs on our products?
Start a trade war?
The Donald is rolling the dice on this one, and the art of the deal has just begun.
I guess if they do, they'll find out how badly they need US consumers.
I give this two weeks until they cave and a compromise is hatched.

That's balls. BIG BALLS...
Making America great again...

[vetteman9368]

This is going to make work fun for the foreseeable future

[Jeff '79]

Originally Posted by vetteman9368

This is going to make work fun for the foreseeable future

Timing is everything, hu?
The stock market at a top, the economy is cranking, and now another leg up.
Assuming his tactics work, of course.
Somehow, I think they will.

[bill_daniels]

Older article, but very germane:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...=.70b6b334d58c

[Jeff '79]

Originally Posted by bill_daniels

Older article, but very germane:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...=.70b6b334d58c

5 Aluminium smelting plants left in America.
A threat to national security???
Hell ya it is.

“Our industrial base is our most important, competitive weapon in any kind of global conflict,” he said. “I’m not a warmonger, but the best way to be sure you have to fight a war is if everybody knows you are incapable of defending yourself.”


Good article...

[09CTSV]

Good time to start up an Aluminum Smelter!! Wonder what the LME price is doing now? About 2150 a ton and with midwest premium probably close to 2500 a ton.
Heard rumors about Noranda restarting a pot line in Missouri, supposed to announce tomorrow. Wonder if Alcoa will start the Wenachee smelter.

[bill_daniels]

I wonder if this will make scrap aluminum prices rise? Maybe I should start saving cans?

[DAB]

i have found much peace by not worrying about things that i cannot control.

[Dan Dlabay]

The dumping a cheap and cheaply made Chinese steel has cost America a lot of jobs. It's time that someone with balls like President Trump does something about it.

[Will]

The chicken littles neglect to mention that America has the strongest hand at the table.

Getting into a trade war with us is suicide. We have the biggest and best market on the planet. If the President of the United States tells you that in order to sell product X or resource Y to American individuals or firms you have to live with a tariff, you say "Thank you sir. May I have another?"

The fact is we've been allowing feckless "leaders" to sell us out for decades.

The idiotic free traders are living in a bubble. They're like communists. They'll argue tooth and nail the virtue of their perfect little system, never acknowledging the reality of human nature and what happens in practice in the real world. Other countries haven't responded to our virtuous adherence to free trade in kind. They been ****ing us and laughing all the way to the bank.

And Trump's tariffs don't represent an end to free trade policies. He's imposed tariffs on washing machines, and says he'll be imposing them on steel and aluminum shortly. That's 3 high profile products/resources. Hardly the stuff that warrants Smoot-Hawley comparisons (only 19,000 and change to go to match that act's tariffs/tariff hikes on 20,000 different imported goods) and doom-and-gloom forecasts.

Yes free trade is good where it actually exists and is mutually practiced. But free trade takes TWO or more sides acting in good faith. When the US allows Japanese automobiles to freely compete in our market, and become major players, while Japan plays political games that make American cars about as rare as Ferraris on their streets, it NOT FREE TRADE. It's us getting played by Japan.

[Cybercowboy]

I’m not worried a bit. So far so good on campaign promises.

[vetteman9368]

Originally Posted by Cybercowboy

I’m not worried a bit. So far so good on campaign promises.

My only concern is how it will directly effect my income. One one hand we may make more money, on the other hand it’s going to make some jobs harder to close.