Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!

In this Discussion

Here's a statement of the obvious: The opinions expressed here are those of the participants, not those of the Mutual Fund Observer. We cannot vouch for the accuracy or appropriateness of any of it, though we do encourage civility and good humor.

    Support MFO

  • Donate through PayPal

Gina Raimondo on Trump tariffs

"Former US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said President Donald Trump’s tariffs are likely to outlive his administration, sustained by political fears that removing protectionist barriers will alienate workers who fear losing their jobs to off-shoring and AI."
I could not disagree more.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-11-19/raimondo-says-trump-s-tariffs-hard-to-remove-for-next-president?srnd=homepage-americas

Comments

  • edited November 20
    I definitely suspect that was why his first term tariffs were allowed to persist. No one wanted to own that as a political blunder. Give the opposition a weapon if anything went wrong. Waste time on that potential unexploded ordnance.

    She may be correct. Possibly. But, how many will outlive trump himself? He is only about 9 months in to the tariffs and they are producing some real back pressure on him. The salad days are over, I figure the bad results are just ramping up. Maybe many are gone/reduced when it becomes evident that mid-terms are going to be a GOP bloodbath?

    By the time anyone who cares can do anything, they may mostly be backed down to much more manageable levels? Just playing Devil's advocate here. Who really knows, right?

    Remember that they did set the stage for a reversal. One of their many rationales was "it is just a negotiating tactic".

  • "it is just a negotiating tactic".
    That never rang true for me. Weaponizing trade negotiations in a way like never before. It is simply beneath the dignity of the Chief Executive. It demeans the Office. Then, when reductions or reversals happen, the Prez looks childish, fickle, weak, ineffective, immature, silly.

    But none of that ever mattered to the Orange Hole.
  • It never made sense in the same universe as re-shoring or reducing the trade deficit. For anything like that to happen, many, very high tariffs would need to remain in place for several years, minimum.

    But, when looking for excuses, these folks (most folks) are very adept. The first thing they ever learned, and they have had a lot of practice.
  • Japan's exports are booming. Making Japan Great Again!

    https://www.cnbc.com/2025/11/21/japan-october-exports-massively-beat-estimates-on-robust-growth-in-shipments-to-asia-and-europe-.html

    "Exports to Asia climbed 4.2% and shipments to Western Europe surged 8.8% year on year, helping offset the 2.7% decline to North America as goods shipped to the U.S. fell 3.1%."

    Certainly sounds like other nations are finding ways to bypass the U.S. and build new trade routes.
  • Certainly sounds like other nations are finding ways to bypass the U.S. and build new trade routes.

    Hell, ya. The Orange Plan (Project 2025?) is a hill of dandruff.
  • "a hill of dandruff"

    More like a hill of dung.

    (@Crash- yes, I know...)  :)
  • Biden kept Trump’s tariff on China. Gina has a point. The pressure needs to be placed on Trump to reverse course.
  • edited November 21
    The TACO trade has reversed direction on selected food items from Brazil on coffee, coca, and beef, as the outcry on high food cost. Realistically, he only cares that his approval rating is falling to all time low.
    Donald Trump on Thursday removed his 40% tariffs on Brazilian food products, including beef, coffee, cocoa and fruits that were imposed in July to punish Brazil over the prosecution of its former president, Trump ally Jair Bolsonaro.
    The move follows a similar order by the administration last Friday to remove tariffs on several agricultural products from other countries as the White House makes a U-turn on some tariffs that have increased the cost of food in the United States.
    https://reuters.com/world/us/trump-signs-order-remove-tariffs-some-brazilian-agricultural-imports-2025-11-20/

    On the front with China, he has little leverage as shown the negations are postponed to later and later dates. When China imposes licensing on the buyers, they have complete control on who and how much rare earth metals they will sell them too. Investment on domestic mines today is too late to catch up for producing the quantities needed today.
  • Unfortunately he is running our economic and trade policies exactly like he ran his (many times bankrupt) businesses and no one will stop him

    Make outrageous demands, stiff people on bills he owes them refuse to pay telling them
    "sue me" and using vengeance as the key motivating factor
Sign In or Register to comment.