Why are you so certain that these tariff plans were still being decided by Trump the day before? He sure likes to put on that front publicly, but I'm less clear on how we'd know whether that's him playing games or an actual representation of the reality of how his cabinet is operating.
If one does want to impose a large block of tariffs, it does seem reasonable that you would want to keep details quiet until the entire package is announced. You wouldn't want other countries responding early
Quiet? Trump has been bellowing about his tariffs for months. China, South Korea and Japan -- long absolute adversaries -- even had a meeting about how to respond. The actual tariff plan is 0% based upon reciprocity, and instead is based upon "we're a rich country that buys lots of stuff, so let's punish the citizens who buy stuff" (as the largest tax hike in history). There are tariffs for unoccupied island chains.
And these apply immediately. This is an administrative impossibility. CBP is going to have a disastrous couple of weeks about this rag tag collection of barely defined nonsense.
Details of the tariffs weren't known at all until yesterday, they were quiet.
The comment I replied to was claiming that Trump himself was still deciding what the tariffs would be until this week. My question was how we could be so certain of that.
As far as reciprocity goes, how is this plan not based at least in part on reciprocity? They claim other countries have taken advantage of the US and we're on the losing end of trade deficits. The tariffs they announced seem to be based entirely on trade deficits/surpluses with each country.
I have no idea if this would work or what the administration's real motives are, but the on the surface it sure seems like they proposed tariffs that target the problem they claim - trade imbalances.
Specific rates weren't known because they were spitballed last minute, apparently based upon a ChatGPT conversation. That there were going to be significant tariffs has been openly gloated about by this admin and mouthpieces like Howard Nutlick for months. Do you think every other country needed a specific number to start their response plans?
And really that is a silly theory regardless. The US would achieve maximum effectiveness by doing a normal tariff legislative process and then soberly discussing with all parties. Instead it's constant on/off brinksmanship. Because Donald Trump is a profoundly stupid imbecile with a simpleton, child-like understanding of the world. There is going to be customs and business chaos as this is factored in.
>As far as reciprocity goes, how is this plan not based at least in part on reciprocity?
It has zero bearing on reciprocity. Reciprocity is matching the other party's tariffs.
If you're richer than the other party, or if they sell things that you want but you don't sell things that they want, that isn't reciprocity. It's like if I tariff my children when they buy from McDonalds -- I mean, McDonalds doesn't buy from me! - and claim it's reciprocity. That would be insanely stupid, right?
It's a massive tax hike on Americans -- a regressive tax that will hit the working and middle classes the hardest -- shrouded under some patriotic America thing. No way anyone falls for this...right?
All that is correct, but I think you missed the point the other poster was making. What if, instead of blundering about stupidly, the goal is to cause as much chaos as possible in order to consolidate political power?
If one does want to impose a large block of tariffs, it does seem reasonable that you would want to keep details quiet until the entire package is announced. You wouldn't want other countries responding early