02-02-2025, 03:02 PM
As you have probably heard, Trump in his "infinite wisdom" is implementing tariffs on almost everything the US imports from Canada and Mexico. I would say it makes no sense but that's stating the obvious. Even right-wing economists are scratching their heads at this. Everybody knows tariffs only encourage retaliatory tariffs (which Canada has already promised) and other friction in trade. Increasing trade friction increases prices. Now, you could argue that this is meant to encourage production to return to the US, but anything not already made here is either not cost effective, and tariffs might make it more cost effective here (but still more expensive than it was previously), or we lack the expertise to make it, in which case tariffs would at best possibly stimulate a long-term effort to develop that expertise (10+ years.) Of course, there is no guarantee either thing would happen, and it's not a very sensible thing to gamble your economy on, so let's just call it what it is: fascist spite.
If I notice any significant price increases because of this, I will surely gripe here.
If I notice any significant price increases because of this, I will surely gripe here.