Trump's trade war rattles Chuck Grassley: 'I hope he knows what he's doing'

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

A world's biggest trade deficit would say otherwise. (base on 2015 data we lead with $803B annual vs. 2nd place UK @$163B)

Not really. That would posit our trade balance, but not the actual dollar amount we produce via manufacturing. I think the ISM is the manufacturing index correct?

[kevindavis007]

Obviously people didn't care about "Made in the USA" then.  Consumer choice. And they don't care that Iphones and Amazon shit is made in China, cause they sell like hot cakes.

Some tools are still made in the USA, but if you go to a trade forum, or DIY, and plenty of people will tout made in China tools too.

If "Made in the USA" matters to you, buy "Made in the USA", but if it doesn't matter to enough people, then manufacturers will no longer tout it.

And BTW, manufacturing jobs suck anyway, at least the ones I had did. And you know that this isn't the 50's, most factories use automation to such an extent that bringing manufacturing back to the states won't provide the same amount of jobs it used to.

In all fairness, what happened in the 50's was  a fluke. We had the luxury of our factories and cities not getting bombed during WWII.

[Emjay]

Did someone pass a law that says we have to buy Chicom junk?  Is it like Obamacare and nobody told me?  NO!  What "forces" you to buy that crap is our very own Marxist income tax laws that, over time, have forced much of our manufacturing base to exit for places where they can produce their products at a price that makes them competitive in the world's markets.

@Bigun   There is no law, of course, unless you count the law of economics.  My son-in-law has a small business and he doesn't like to buy from China but some of the things he needs are so much cheaper from China that it is not economically feasible to buy U.S.  Plus, the cheap China stuff has put some American manufacturers out of business so he can't buy American even if he wanted to pay the price.

Ironically, China-made stuff put him out of a business he had before this one by totally undercutting what he could sell for.

[Bigun]

I think it's most non-consumer goods that are manufactured in the US: heavy machinery, that sort of thing. Stuff that is difficult to ship.

Absolutely it is but most of that contains Chinese components because there is literally no where else to get them!  I know what Trump is trying to accomplish here and support that but he (because he is getting very bad advice on the matter) is going about it a$$ backwards IMHO!

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

@Bigun   There is no law, of course, unless you count the law of economics.  My son-in-law has a small business and he doesn't like to buy from China but some of the things he needs are so much cheaper from China that it is not economically feasible to buy U.S.  Plus, the cheap China stuff has put some American manufacturers out of business so he can't buy American even if he wanted to pay the price.

Ironically, China-made stuff put him out of a business he had before this one by totally undercutting what he could sell for.

The fact of the matter is that made in the USA doesn't sell because most consumers don't really care. 

If they did every manufacturer would try to have "made in the USA".

[GtHawk]

What's it matter? If he doesn't how is it different from the last, four at least, administrations. And by the way Chuck, you've been sucking on the public teat for 43 years, your 84 years old, get the hell out of Dodge and let some new blood in. It's not just the dems that have to many dinosaurs in office.

[To-Whose-Benefit?]

One more time Frank and I'll type Real big this time so you can see it better!  GET OUR ON HOUSE IN ORDER TAX WISE AND TARIFFS WOULD BE COMPLETELY UNNECESSARY!

I understand your position. Makes perfect sense, EXCEPT, doing it That way requires miles of Congress fixing it
 
Congress is not going to fix the tax code.

The President can and IS doing what Can be done without Congress, who won't do shit.

I'd rather have it done with tariffs than not have it done at all.

[To-Whose-Benefit?]

If people cared about Made In the USA they'd buy it. 

In the early 60s you could buy absolute rock bottom lowest price, junk ballpoint pens that said Made In USA on them.

Japan built a town and Named it USA so they could stamp it onto their junk. And it sold.

[Bigun]

I understand your position. Makes perfect sense, EXCEPT, doing it That way requires miles of Congress fixing it
 
Congress is not going to fix the tax code.

The President can and IS doing what Can be done without Congress, who won't do shit.

I'd rather have it done with tariffs than not have it done at all.

@To-Whose-Benefit?

I don't disagree with a word you said!  The point I was making is that if WE the people want to an actual LONG TERM solution we must stand up on hind legs like men and DEMAND that Congress end the Marxist income tax permanently! No more of this tinkering around the edges trying to fix the unfixable crap!

[To-Whose-Benefit?]

@To-Whose-Benefit?

I don't disagree with a word you said!  The point I was making is that if WE the people want to an actual LONG TERM solution we must stand up on hind legs like men and DEMAND that Congress end the Marxist income tax permanently! No more of this tinkering around the edges trying to fix the unfixable crap!

Agree. The article cites Grassley. I like Chuck, but Ethanol?

They're all owned by someone who Ain't the voters. Jed Babbin summed it up.

No mattsr who they are or what they promise, the minute they get in they go native on us.

[Bigun]

Agree. The article cites Grassley. I like Chuck, but Ethanol?

They're all owned by someone who Ain't the voters. Jed Babbin summed it up.

No mattsr who they are or what they promise, the minute they get in they go native on us.

"A Parliament of Whores" just may be one of the best books written in my lifetime!

[Formerly Once-Ler]

Yeah, because I am so excited being forced to buy poor quality garbage from a Communist county.

You poor pitiful man.  Imagine being given options in your black and white world of patriotic goods and goods that destroy America.  That must have been difficult for you