patrick.net

External Revenue Service!

Bezos is trying to conflate Personal Liberties with National Economic Policy in the WaPo now.

But I was told US consumers - not Chinese manufacturers - would be the ones paying for the tariffs!

Chinese manufacturers that planned to cut prices to help customers absorb the initial tariff bump are now contending with potentially higher duties for their clients. Those already operating on razor-thin profit margins could be squeezed even further.

Trump’s new tariff proposal adds more urgency to plans among Chinese manufacturers to shift production outside the country, especially to Southeast Asia. Making and shipping goods from other countries means U.S. importers can avoid paying the higher duties on Chinese products—that is, unless Trump targets those countries, too.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/the-tariff-pain-is-getting-real-for-chinese-companies/ar-AA1zZgRq

https://www.coffeeandcovid.com/p/far-away-tuesday-march-4-2025-c-and

This morning, the Times began a rolling “breaking news” story headlined, “Trump’s tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China snap into effect.” Shares of German automakers with Mexican manufacturing plants tumbled in early trading this morning, as huge tariffs against China, Canada, and Mexico came into effect. And European stock markets plummeted.

Right after midnight last night, as the President has long promised, the Trump Administration slapped a whopping 25% tariff on all imports from Canada and Mexico. It also added another +10% tariff to all imports from China, doubling the existing 10% tariff on Chinese goods that kicked in last month.

China, the only one of the three to act, immediately announced counter-tariffs and sued the U.S. in the World Trade Organization.

Welcome to the economic war. In its tariffs story, the Wall Street Journal described the new taxes as ‘historic,’ both in scale and speed, explaining that even the storied and amusingly named Smoot-Hawley tariffs of 1930 were eased in more gradually.

(It’s even fun to say Smoot-Hawley. Try it.)

Trump’s well described plan is to disrupt the status quo, and force both American and foreign companies to repatriate manufacturing back to the United States. Plan for short-term disruptions. You might want to stock up on toilet paper again.

The media is waiting for us to rebel against the Terrible Orange Man because of rising consumer good prices. They’ll be waiting a long time. We lived through the pandemic’s totally useless and unnecessary supply-chain crisis. We’ll get through this without breaking a sweat.

Trump is not leaving prices to chance. He’s juiced domestic oil production, opened federal forests for timber harvesting, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent this week announced a new “Affordability Czar.” Also, energy products (oil, gas, and electricity) were exempted from all tariffs.

Meanwhile, the Democrats are still obsessing over eggs. Prepare for scads of stories comparing pre- and post-tariff prices.

“On the subject of the Tariff, I support a careful and strategic approach. A Tariff that fosters domestic industry, protects national defense, and ensures economic independence—especially in times of war—is essential. The hardships of the last war should serve as a lasting lesson: without self-sufficiency, our nation is vulnerable. No true patriot should be willing to jeopardize our security by relying solely on foreign commerce, which could be easily disrupted in conflict.

“Providence has blessed us with abundant resources—minerals, fertile land, and a climate suited for key materials like hemp and wool. To secure our independence, we must protect our own industries, ensuring a stable supply of vital goods. Beyond defense, the Tariff should also serve to fairly distribute labor and revenue while addressing our national debt, which I view not as a blessing, but a danger to republican liberty, fostering a privileged class at the expense of the people.

“American agriculture suffers from a lack of markets beyond cotton. By diverting surplus labor into manufacturing, we can strengthen our domestic economy and create new demand for our farmers’ goods. Instead of enriching British merchants and sustaining European laborers, we should prioritize our own. Without this shift, we risk impoverishing ourselves under a system that benefits foreign economies at our expense.

“Thus, I believe a well-structured Tariff is necessary—to pay off our debt, strengthen national defense, and ensure economic stability. These principles, which I hold deeply, are not for sale in exchange for any political office. I speak openly, without concealment, as I would despise myself if I sought public confidence through deception.”

- Andrew Jackson

https://x.com/carter_squared/status/1896786462848250116

OkDOGEisAmountingToSomething says

Fucking circus.

Now, Donnie, go promise gates of hell to Hamas again, LOL.

Clown world.

It's all our fault for...