In Retaliation For President Trump Planned Taxes On Imported Steel And Aluminum The European Union Preparing Tariffs On Harley-Davidson, And Other American Companies.

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), a frequent supporter of Trump, denounced what he called ” a tax hike the American people don’t need and can’t afford.” And he urged the president to reconsider. The president is proposing a massive tax increase on American families,” said Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.). The planned tax on imported steel is 25% and aluminum 10%.
President Donald Trump escalated threats of a trade war this Saturday March 3rd, saying he would slap a new tax on European cars if the EU retaliated against his proposed steel and aluminum tariffs. UBS Investment Research estimates that 16% of Harley sales are made in Europe. For the company’s 115th anniversary celebration. Europe will be one of the main stages with an estimated 100,000 bikers from 56 countries expected to ride to Prague. Would Harley-Davidson survive a trade war? Other American brands targeted if necessary by the European Union include Levi Strauss and Bourbon Whiskey.

92 Responses to “In Retaliation For President Trump Planned Taxes On Imported Steel And Aluminum The European Union Preparing Tariffs On Harley-Davidson, And Other American Companies.”


  1. 1 richards Mar 3rd, 2018 at 5:52 pm

    WTF? Congressional repubs needs to stand up to trump. They need to grow a pair.

  2. 2 David Warloo Mar 3rd, 2018 at 6:09 pm

    Richards. If Trump persists the US enters very fast in a recession. Good bye your job and your house. If you don’t understand this you know nothing about the economy and how trade works. Let’s talk later…

  3. 3 Bruce Bringman Mar 3rd, 2018 at 6:15 pm

    Rightly 95% of Republicans are against Trump.. Each trade war ended very badly. The 1929 depression was so long because of a trade war.

  4. 4 Trevor Mar 3rd, 2018 at 6:27 pm

    Dumb Trump. No one has ever won a trade war. The President unraveling even after 100 days of golfing instead of working.

  5. 5 Mike Mar 3rd, 2018 at 7:49 pm

    Hey rubes in middle America who voted for this wacko, I hope you like your $2.00 per week “tax cut” and few hundred more coal miner jobs, because it’s going to cost us all bigly in terms of worldwide prestige and economic well being. Don’t cry when the recession this Dotard is slow walking us into eats into your precious 401K.

  6. 6 fuji Mar 3rd, 2018 at 8:03 pm

    Interesting . Went around my house looking for all the made in USA products and put them in a back pack.

  7. 7 Bo Williams Mar 3rd, 2018 at 8:07 pm

    Thanks to Blonde Trump the GOP is a very bad place to be.. Is low IQ America going to wake up to insane Trump? This guy has no ideology, low education, is a liar and dishonest. He works for himself like in business, but soon (November), Americans are going to surprise him with a big Fxxx You!

  8. 8 fuji Mar 3rd, 2018 at 8:07 pm

    OK . I found more in the fridge.

  9. 9 Paul Martinez Mar 3rd, 2018 at 8:25 pm

    The new joke Innside the White House. Knowing that he is going to lose the next election, he is going to run now as a Democrat! This guy is a typical con artist who conned millions of naive, uneducated or simply good desperate Americans. How long he is going to feed and grow the Washington swamp to his and family only advantage?

  10. 10 Xenu Mar 3rd, 2018 at 9:01 pm

    Where are the Trumpists?
    Come defend your President!

    MAGA!

  11. 11 BobS Mar 3rd, 2018 at 9:05 pm

    Not my president. The guy’s a huge loser.

  12. 12 Roberto Mar 4th, 2018 at 12:29 am

    They already had tariffs on HD….

  13. 13 James just another crazy kiwi Mar 4th, 2018 at 1:56 am

    European car manufacturers will freak… big bucks compared to MC’s

    Interesting , the USA buys allot more EU products than it exports to Europe. And you guys and the British defend them… let em build their own defense systems ..

    Just a thought

  14. 14 Charles from MA Mar 4th, 2018 at 8:30 am

    Donald Trump is a 71-year-old baby. He got mad because his parents put him in the corner, so he said “I’ll show you” and started this tariff crap. It is stupid and dangerous, kind of like Trump himself. What bothers me is that he still has an 85% approval rating from Republicans.

    Who ever said Americans are stupid?

  15. 15 BD Mar 4th, 2018 at 8:59 am

    I guess all you guys think it is OK for the EU official to say that he needs to protect the EU economy and jobs. OK for them to dump there shet in the states and kill u.s. steel workers but thats ok. Face the truth. The world needs the usa much more than the usa needs the world. Most of these countries would be nothing with out the states and that is a fact EU my arse!!!!!!!!!!

  16. 16 BD Mar 4th, 2018 at 9:02 am

    Paul Martinez ALL politicians are con artists and people actually take sides?? It is like saying I wanna be robbed by this guy and not that guy??? What is wrong with americans? Way too many years of brainwashing ALL politicians suck

  17. 17 burnout Mar 4th, 2018 at 9:28 am

    BD you and I are losers I guess judging by remarks above. In my 40+ years of professional life I am constantly reminded that there is NO love in business. This is long overdue. Plus when we have no clue where our f*cking food comes from we are doomed. I say ‘Pay Up Suckas’. peace

  18. 18 Guy Mar 4th, 2018 at 9:31 am

    Doesn’t most of imported US steel come from China? Now you know why the UK voted out of the EU. Harleys are dear enough here already, I guess Triumphs going into America will be hit by the tariff going the other way. Its a loose, loose game. Trump is a dickhead.

  19. 19 SIGFREED Mar 4th, 2018 at 9:31 am

    WELCOME TO TROLL CITY…

    Meretricious politics on a motorcycle website is as obtuse as all but two comments above.

  20. 20 Don R Mar 4th, 2018 at 9:40 am

    The remark about all politicians being con artists is certainly true. Trump has been a con artist all his life, stiffed anyone he ever did business with and conned his way into the White House. I read a remark saying if you had $100 in your pocket and Trump had $10,000 he would try to con you out of your last $100.

    It is unbelievable that he got elected by a lot of people that didn’t consider or care about his history. Amazing. He needs to be removed from office FAST before country is broke and a nuclear war breaks out
    Don R, Florida

  21. 21 Coma Mar 4th, 2018 at 10:19 am

    With allies like the U.S., who needs enemies?

  22. 22 GYM Mar 4th, 2018 at 11:13 am

    Don’t be confused Orin Hatch and the rest of the big oil and NRA puppets in Washington are still die hard Trump supporters otherwise we would be watching impeachment hearings on TV right now.

  23. 23 philip m korte Mar 4th, 2018 at 11:43 am

    F^%k Harley Davidson the GREEDY Bastards need to take it and move on !!!!!!!!!!

  24. 24 Kroeter Mar 4th, 2018 at 12:05 pm

    @MIke +1

  25. 25 Fzzzz Mar 4th, 2018 at 12:27 pm

    Didn’t Reagan put a tariff on Jap bikes and ultimately saved Harley Davidson back in the early 1980s or is that just an ugly rumour?

  26. 26 Johnny Gypo Mar 4th, 2018 at 12:28 pm

    I’m headed over to CNN site and talk some serious motorcycle!

  27. 27 Tom Mar 4th, 2018 at 1:51 pm

    Definitely true of tariff on Japanese motorcycles,and they got caught dumping bikes into ocean off ship.

  28. 28 Tom Mar 4th, 2018 at 1:53 pm

    The foreign countries already have a high tax on Harley bikes.

  29. 29 Git Real Mar 4th, 2018 at 2:08 pm

    Geez….Seems mostly all posters on this article are “wanna be” snow flakes with a FAKE ASS PhD in economics and world policies. You should take your superfluous political crap over to the Clinton News Network, I am sure the Bonnie and Clyde of politics can help you with a fake ass dossier, even fund it for you, so you can continue to spout your ignorance knowingly and attempt to cover it up like the Benghazi killings…surely Clyde (aka Billy Boy) can even explain how well NAFTA did NOT work to you wanna be’s !

    Tariffs should have been imposed many years ago and more specifically by the past administration of late. Show some respect to the President and Commander in Chief of our fine country, and your peers, or move to north or south of the border like the rest of the fake ass lying actors and actresses that you write like !

    I am quite sure all of you are NOT such fine businessmen are ya ? More than likely you cannot even manage your household needless to say yourselves by the comments here. From what I see here others have played you like a fools instrument. Remember now boys, CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME, not in China, Europe, Mexico nor Russia! Let the dynamics of the tariffs play out and manage accordingly. Be a responsible citizen, assuming you are not an illegal or a dreamer, and Man Up for your family and for your country!

    Comments Closed on my behalf, but fire away boys with facts and proof…and no I am not going for your linked click bait crap either. So continue to waste your time boys when you could be out riding like I will be in a few minutes with friends that think most of you posting here on this article are laughable clowns at best!

    To the real motorcycle enthusiasts here that want to talk about motorcycles, I wish you all the best. Buy American, Put up the Wall and Make America Great Again!

    Cya

  30. 30 rebel Mar 4th, 2018 at 2:54 pm

    This country could use a wake up call, i’m willing to do without cheap imported junk and i could care less if ANYTHING gets imported. Man up girls, Harley will be fine, you’d be surprised what we can do when we have to, 100% market share sounds pretty good.

  31. 31 highrpm Mar 4th, 2018 at 3:55 pm

    @gitty,
    Seems mostly all posters on this article are “wanna be” snow flakes with a FAKE ASS PhD in economics and world policies. and who make you the exception? jump on your bike and ride.

  32. 32 Xenu Mar 4th, 2018 at 5:21 pm

    Hard to comment on imported crap with my Korean tablet.

  33. 33 Felix Mar 4th, 2018 at 6:07 pm

    Xenu,rebel, Git Real, and highrpm. Thanks. I thought I was going to have to stop reading this site. To the rest of you, get some more red meat in your diets and get back on your motorcycles. MAGA.

  34. 34 Patrick Mar 4th, 2018 at 6:47 pm

    What Felix said!!!!!

  35. 35 Furious Fred Mar 4th, 2018 at 6:52 pm

    To GUY: To answer your question, the majority of our imported steel and aluminum comes from Canada!

  36. 36 grmp54 Mar 5th, 2018 at 9:02 am

    Fuck politics and ALL politicians, just RIDE.

  37. 37 beentheredonethat Mar 5th, 2018 at 9:07 am

    Wow what a bunch of _______ here
    I had no idea. This place is commie heaven jeez.
    He is our president. Show some respect for him and what he is trying to fix from the last changer we had
    or go back to your country of choice.

  38. 38 coma Mar 5th, 2018 at 9:21 am

    @ GitReal: bruhahahaha!

  39. 39 hark Mar 5th, 2018 at 10:31 am

    Our country gets nailed with Tariffs all over the world…that does not seem to be a problem to most of you from what I am reading…I guess its only we someone wants to help American workers…we were at one time the largest steal producing nation in the world. Just look at all the empty buildings in some of those states where steal was produced. Thousands of good paying jobs gone…the same goes for our clothing industry and the list goes on…when do we as a nation stand up and say…enough is enough…by the way…the cost of a Harley is not going up anyway.

  40. 40 BobS Mar 5th, 2018 at 10:50 am

    Respect has to be earned. This loser showed nothing but disrespect to the office for eight years. He’s been disrespectful to our soldiers, their mothers, women in general, Mexicans, Haiti, the continent of Africa, gun owners, his fellow republicans, the Contstitution…the only one Trump has not disrespected is…yep, Vladimir Putin. He’s a lying cheating no good loser that needed help to beat someone as easy to beat as Hillary Clinton. It would be unpatriotic of me to show someone like that respect.

  41. 41 Philly Mar 5th, 2018 at 12:10 pm

    Right on git real!

  42. 42 richards Mar 5th, 2018 at 1:00 pm

    BobS. I agree with everything you said.

  43. 43 BOSS HAWG Mar 5th, 2018 at 1:05 pm

    I am with Git Real – U go Brother !

    To echo the thoughts…Man Up for your family and for your country or shut the hell up so as we can talk motorcycles.

    Boss Hawg

  44. 44 fuji Mar 5th, 2018 at 1:08 pm

    Talk about love for your country and the constitution. How many of you have taken the time to serve instead of disgrace it.

  45. 45 aaron Mar 5th, 2018 at 1:16 pm

    The funny thing about all of this is that the value of a Harley to most overseas buyers is the tie to the USA brand. The things may as well be painted with the American flag and play the star-spangled banner out the tailpipes. Tarnish the reputation of the USA by praising brutal dictators, undermining democracy, and provoking unnecessary conflict, and any brand tied to “American values” will be as hard a sell as a German car circa 1946.

  46. 46 BOSS HAWG Mar 5th, 2018 at 1:23 pm

    @ fuji

    Proud Vietnam Era Veteran here!

    BIG Red 1 –
    “No Mission Too Difficult. No Sacrifice Too Great. Duty First!”
    First to land, last to leave !

    Boss Hawg

  47. 47 Roberto Mar 5th, 2018 at 1:24 pm

    Clinton beat herself. Disrespected half the citizens and was a pompous fool with no plan. Like myself,many folks didn’t vote for trump.they voted against clinton. If she got into the oval office,riding and wrenching as we know it would have beeen done by the end of 2018.

  48. 48 fuji Mar 5th, 2018 at 3:00 pm

    @BOSS HAWG thanks for serving. Fuji. 3RD MARINE DIV. 61-67.

  49. 49 Woody's Mar 5th, 2018 at 3:19 pm

    Average import tax for cars into America is 2% to 3%, into Europe, around 10%. Into China, 20%. What’s this about a trade war I hear that Trump is going to start? The past decade or two everybody has been fine with the United States being a patsy to the point where I think they’ve gotten Stockholm Syndrome. I’m almost every detail regarding foreign policy the last presidents platform was to pay any price, apologize to any monster, as long as it kept the pot from boiling over before the end of his term. I heard someone screaming the other day about Trump’s Lac of a response to the latest Russian claims of an Unstoppable nuclear weapon. In almost the same breath other folks have mentioned Russia had it under development for the last decade. Has Trump actually been in office 10 years already?

  50. 50 Number6 Mar 5th, 2018 at 3:33 pm

    MAGA ? Hmmm … lets have a look see from the perspective of someone actually involved in economics rather than from a bunch of backwoods bubba’s buying into another of the Toddler in Chief’s con games . A couple of examples ;

    Start a trade war with Germany alone ? Loose over 30,000 jobs here in the US . Raise the cost of steel ? Make all those heavyweight cruisers costs h-d and Indian sell go up … and US sales down even further . Force the EU into a tit for tat trade war ? Watch American ( assembled ) heavyweight cruises fall there as well .

    Now lets talk computers and smart/phones /pads ? Seen one lately not manufactured overseas ? 90% of the cloths in your’s and your wife’s closet ? All bets are 100% foreign made . That Chebbie Full Sized pickup you’re so darn proud of ? 80% foreign manufactured . The Cadillac you aspire to ? 90% foreign manufactured . That tv you plant yourselves in front of 24/7 ? Manufactured overseas . etc – et al – ad nauseam

    And then … lets talk real estate and debt . Know who owns 70% of US debt ? China . The AMC theater you just watched F&F at ? China . More than 60% of Citibank ? Saudi Arabia .

    And that just scratching the surface . So next time all you bubba’s are on your MAGA platform … have a look around and see just how dependent your lives and in most cases jobs are dependent on FAIR trade ..as well as how much damage another misguided trade war will cost us

  51. 51 Number6 Mar 5th, 2018 at 3:37 pm

    As for the fuji / BOSS HAWG etc military parade .. like this site is so desperate to be militarized

    SDS 1968 -1975 … fiighting on the streets to bring your posteriors home as well as guaranteeing no one else would die in that wretched excess exercise in futility masquerading as a police action pretending to be a war . No Sacrifice too Great – No National Guardsman too imposing – Country , Constitution and the People First rather than bowing to the wishes of a bunch of war mongering sycophant chickenhawks . And yes gentlemen .. thats a conversation I’d gladly take face to face … any time … any place … anywhere . Civil or otherwise … makes no difference to me .

  52. 52 Number6 Mar 5th, 2018 at 3:43 pm

    As for Git Real ? Get real little man . Suffice it to say your ignorance is shining thru like a flickering match upon a manure pile . And any time you’d like to crawl out from behind that screen of yours and really man up … y’all jes lets me know …

  53. 53 fuji Mar 5th, 2018 at 6:12 pm

    Sounds like someone who beats his wife and is in love with himself over and over.

  54. 54 fuji Mar 5th, 2018 at 6:16 pm

    I’ll bet that your not a full fisted guy but more like a thump and index finger guy.

  55. 55 James just another crazy kiwi Mar 5th, 2018 at 6:54 pm

    If he only equals the import taxes the USA has to contend with from other countries, surely that is just making the playing ground even.
    It all depends how it is implemented and how Trump acts which to be fair is bloody erratic at times.
    We have the same problem, we are getting cheap steel dumped here as well. Worse than that we are getting low quality structural steel and reinforcing mesh dumped here, but because we are a little country China bullies us !!! True story.
    We are a completely open country, no tariffs !

  56. 56 evo80 Mar 5th, 2018 at 7:56 pm

    Politics and corporate greed has gotten us in this mess,and all the revisionist of world events is not going to solve anything.Clothes,electronics,autos and just about anything you buy went to other countries because of cheap labor and the ease of shipping it here.I’m retired now but when I still worked we had to hear how cheaper it was to make the products we made in the Mexico plant the company has there.I’m not sure but they were not making half the wages we were.They have plants in many countries China being one and several others because thats the only.way they can sell there either because of tariffs or protectionism.And I know they had to guarantee the mexico worker a set number of hours because they would pull production form our plant if their loading went down.I do not know what the answer is but at least someone is trying to address the problem that previous politicians have ignored for to long.By the way I worked there for over 40 years and it got nothing but worse.

  57. 57 hacksaw Mar 6th, 2018 at 3:05 am

    Trump is standing up to the rest of the world ripping us off. we need the step industry here. stop buying chinese steel like we are moving away from saudi oil. our infrastructure and out security depend on a domestic steel industry. i could care less about harley sales in europe. europe has been taxing harleys and everything else from the usa at high rates already. its tit for tat.

  58. 58 Calif Phil Mar 6th, 2018 at 8:58 am

    Number6 I aspired to get my wife a 65% domestic made Cadillac. I am sure glad I didn’t buy it at your local dealer. I would have hated to get one that was 90% foreign.made. By the way. I love our Cadillac and I have great respect for what our president is trying to do for our country. America first sure sounds good to this proud American. MAGA MAGA MAGA .

  59. 59 pabstbluerigid Mar 6th, 2018 at 10:01 am

    visit prosperousamerica.org?

    America has been taken advantage of, been a ‘patsy’ for far too long.

    All these other nations like Japan, Germany & so forth have had industrial policies for decades and decades that have literal penalties for corporations, manufacturers leaving for cheap labor, and other safeguards to promote business within country!

    Tariffs/trade wars related to steel & aluminum will have little impact on the consumer here. Sure, they will come back at the US with taxes/tariff on our #1 exports like food products? but at the end of the day….where else they gonna get it. HD needs a good shake up! Levis is still #1 in US denim sales, and bourbon has never been more popular than it is today, throughout the US as well as abroad.

    There may be an initial sting, some discomfort…but the swelling will diminish in a matter of months.

  60. 60 Git Real Mar 6th, 2018 at 10:46 am

    Number6 ?

    Seems to me you are misinformed along with being “chemically unbalanced” and in dire need of sensitivity training. I have been advised, by others, that a great program for you to start with would be the services of 23andMe to git your DNA re-balanced.

    Of course you may wish to let me know when you have completed the 23andMe program and then we may be able to have a meeting of the minds to discuss a personalized sensitivity training program designed just for you and to work on your anger management with hopes of others close to you assisting you with completing your genetic journey! Until then, call Jerry Springer to voice your concerns.

    To the many “real” motorcycle enthusiasts here that want to talk about motorcycles, I wish you all the best. Buy American, Put up the Wall and Make America Great Again!

    Git Real

  61. 61 Xenu Mar 6th, 2018 at 2:04 pm

    23andMe doesn’t “rebalance” DNA.
    Your chaps are on fire.

  62. 62 Ulrich Mar 6th, 2018 at 4:22 pm

    @Boss Hawg
    Delta Battery, 1/15 Arty, Ist Infantry Div

  63. 63 Roberto Mar 6th, 2018 at 4:35 pm

    Seems like tha obama era mindset of not pissing off any other countries is prevalent here. Tariffs are needed but perhaps a lower percentage than trump wants might be more appropriate.

  64. 64 Aaron! Mar 6th, 2018 at 4:43 pm

    The US is so screwed unless they get rid of Trump.
    He makes Nixon look good.

    Nixon.

    Let that sink in.

  65. 65 BobS Mar 6th, 2018 at 5:03 pm

    All lot of you don’t get it. Tariffs on imports is a tax on us. When other countries put a tariff on our exports it’s a tax on their citizens. We are not being taken advantage of because those other countries tax their own consumers, we get better deals because our govt does not tax us like that. Except for Loser Trump, he wants to raise taxes on American consumers. That’s the truth.

  66. 66 Woody's Mar 6th, 2018 at 5:10 pm

    Bob S- please stop confusing “doesn’t understand” with “doesn’t agree”. Thx.☺

  67. 67 bean're Mar 6th, 2018 at 5:43 pm

    2nd Marine Divisions moto – ” Lead, Follow or get the hell out of the way.
    my moto- ” you can’t lead from behind with bone spurs

  68. 68 Patrick Mar 6th, 2018 at 5:56 pm

    I bet tha many of you have zero business and financial education. Leader of the pack is hacksaw who must not have a GED.

    Breaking news.

    President Donald Trump’s top economic adviser Gary Cohn is resigning. Cohn will leave the White House in the wake of his fierce disagreement with the President’s decision to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.

    All republicans are not stupid.

  69. 69 Patrick Mar 6th, 2018 at 6:02 pm

    Even big aluminum doesn’t want Trump’s tariffs.

    The Aluminum Association told the president in an open letter that it is “deeply concerned” by the damage a global aluminum tariff could inflict on US jobs and production. The association represents American aluminum companies.

    “We fear that the proposed tariff may do more harm than good,” said Heidi Brock, head of the Aluminum Association, in the letter.

  70. 70 fuji Mar 6th, 2018 at 7:27 pm

    Woodys . Thanks for putting it to the know all ,see all, literary with no common sense. The boy is still wet behind the ears.

  71. 71 BOSS HAWG Mar 6th, 2018 at 8:00 pm

    Thanks to all the Brothers In Arms that have served and commented herein – Semper Fidelis!

    To address the comments posted by the TOOLBOX above, likewise and enjoy. MAGA!

    Tariffs are coming into play. China is NOT your friend by any means! India and Brazil are not either and neither is the EU when it comes to fair and “balanced” trade.

    New rules shall be set NOW as they are long-overdue. One can always negotiate from a position of strength, not weakness. Take a lot, give a little. Canada and Mexico will still end up getting concessions to be determined. MAGA!

    Fair Trade is one of the many pledges of his campaign and he is following through. I’ll continue to manage my business with a keen eye and operate accordingly to the dynamics thrown my way. As for Cohen’s resignation, oh well, although he is a very smart man. Only room for 1 at the top and that would be the President of this fine country. MAGA!

    Do you have a 401K plan or stocks…then STFU!
    CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME! Harley Davidson and Levis will survive. MAGA!

    Buy American, Put up the Wall and Make America Great Again!
    Boss Hawg

  72. 72 BOSS HAWG Mar 6th, 2018 at 8:51 pm

    Thanks to all the Brothers In Arms that have served and commented herein – Semper Fidelis!

    To address the comments posted by the TOOLBOX above, likewise and enjoy. MAGA!

    Tariffs are coming into play. China is NOT your friend by any means! India and Brazil are not either and neither is the EU when it comes to fair and “balanced” trade.

    New rules shall be set NOW as they are long-overdue. One can always negotiate from a position of strength, not weakness. Take a lot, give a little. Canada and Mexico will still end up getting concessions to be determined. MAGA!

    Fair Trade is one of the many pledges of his campaign and he is following through. I’ll continue to manage my business with a keen eye and operate accordingly to the dynamics thrown my way. As for Cohen’s resignation, oh well, although he is a very smart man. Only room for 1 at the top and that would be the President of this fine country. MAGA!

    Do you have a 401K plan or stocks…then STFU!
    CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME! Harley Davidson and Levis will survive. MAGA!

    Buy American, Put up the Wall and Make America Great Again!
    Boss Hawg

  73. 73 BobS Mar 6th, 2018 at 9:25 pm

    Woody’s – no confusion here. We’ve been down this road multiple times before and the results are clear. History books are your friend, tariffs are a tax on consumers, not a punishment to foreign countries.

  74. 74 Boomer Mar 6th, 2018 at 9:54 pm

    I’m always amazed at how so many people still don’t get President Trump. Everything he does is for the average American citizen; particularly the working class. Obama gave away the farm to lazy welfare queens and their spawn. Trump is simply trying to bring good paying jobs back to the USA. How can anyone be against that as an American? I can understand it if you live in China or Mexico and are worrying about losing your job that your country stole from the USA to begin with but American citizens? It makes no sense. You literally have to be Anti-American to not understand these very simple to understand facts. MAGA!!!

  75. 75 BobS Mar 7th, 2018 at 6:16 am

    Boomer – You too should read a history book. We have been down this road before. Taxing manufactured products cause a decline in sales and a loss of jobs. It’s a total loser idea from a total loser occupant of the White House.

  76. 76 fuji Mar 7th, 2018 at 8:27 am

    Bommer. I’m guessing the boys great grand mother is Nancy Pelosi . He knows more than any CEO or president ever. Internet researching has an illness.

  77. 77 BobS Mar 7th, 2018 at 9:34 am

    Nope. I just didn’t flunk History or Econ classes.

  78. 78 fuji Mar 7th, 2018 at 11:39 am

    Good boy Grandmother should be proud

  79. 79 Woody's Mar 7th, 2018 at 12:57 pm

    Neither did I, Bob, especially macro. At least we have something in common-we think the other is confused. There’s no way I can support the current unequal tariff status and I fully support you if you can just make it all stop by dropping off a freshly baked pie. One expert said it’d add under 2¢ to the consumer price of a six pack, and around $191 to a US car. Bourbon? Who cares, do you have any idea how much bourbon is made by Japanese-owned Kentucky companies? Expensive Harleys? What’s your point? You can’t bluff at poker if your “friends” at the table stand behind you yelling, “Don’t raise, you’ll lose all our money!”. I don’t want a trade war, but I absolutely don’t want the status quo. We’ve been the United States of Doormat for far too long, and it needs to stop now, not in teeny drops. Rest of the World don’t like it? Well duh! Who likes free shit taken away. The previous guy even printed money when he could appease fast enough. He only wanted to keep the pot from boiling for 8 years and then to hell with his successor. I hate most everything about the way Trump acts, but at least I agree with WHAT he’s going after.

  80. 80 Woody's Mar 7th, 2018 at 5:33 pm

    From CNBC;
    The situation facing stocks may appear more ominous with the addition of President Donald Trump’s tariff threat.

    But libertarian Ron Paul suggests Wall Street is missing the bigger picture.

    The real trouble stems from Federal Reserve policy and easy money, according to the former presidential candidate…

  81. 81 BobS Mar 7th, 2018 at 8:59 pm

    Woody’s glad to hear you have some economic background and that we have something in common. A quick refresher of macro will quickly remind you that broad brushed tariff increases raise prices on consumers. Importing countries don’t pay it, the American consumer does. Especially something as important to every American manufactured goods as steel and aluminum are. Every wheel, frame, fender, door and hood. Every motorcycle, car, RV, airplane, anything with a motor, virtually all construction, furniture, and appliances…all use steel and aluminum. That’s a wide range of price increases. Sure the exporting company feels pain, but so does every American consumer. And what’s our economy based on? Consumerism.
    I’m sure you remember what happens to demand as prices rise correct? Sales go down. GDP suffers, which means jobs suffer. And that’s not even getting into rising prices equals inflation and what’s the Fed do to combat inflation? Raise interest rates further hurting consumerism further hurting the economy. If you think things like rising unemployment and rising interest rates with a stagnant economy is just a matter of opinion I would urge you to review the Jimmy Carter years.
    The reality is broad ranging and large tax hikes on Americans through tariffs have never worked. For about a century democrats and labor unions thought they could protect American jobs and they’ve been tried before. And it never worked. Finally after the Carter years capitalist republicans, Reagan, H.W. Bush, the republicans in the House and Senate that helped Clinton pass NAFTA…were always for lower tariffs. Labor Unions and democrats always opposed. The business oriented republicans understood that lower costs to consumers meant more consumption meant an expanding economy meant more jobs and profits. Sure India, China, the EU…socialist oriented countries still insist on trying to make protectionism work. Their loss. Why should we appease the unions and the democrats by being more like socialist countries and less like the world’s number one economy? For the life of me I don’t understand what the hell is going through the minds of Trumpists and simpletons today. The guy is a New York City liberal elitist and a stupid one at that. We finally got to a point where democrats and unions couldn’t ignore the truth, free market capitalism worked. Along comes a dingus falsely calling himself a republican and selling what the unions gave up selling a decade ago and guys just jump on the bandwagon.
    If socialist countries want to punish their consumers with tariffs…LET THEM. We’re supposed to be better than the rest, not trying to imitate them.

  82. 82 Woody's Mar 8th, 2018 at 8:10 am

    Bob S, you failed to address the part how we have allowed ourselves to become a doormat in aiding other countries first. I like to think of the solution has being more like the oxygen mask instructions before takeoff, where they remind you to put your own oxygen mask on first so that you can be safely able to help small children. What’s going on right now is not exactly textbook, nor permanent. Trump is trying to turn the aircraft carrier around before it hits the rocks. Biggest problems with discussions on macroeconomics is that so often people like to treat a country’s economy as if it exists in a vacuum like some sterile lab experiment.

  83. 83 BobS Mar 8th, 2018 at 10:25 am

    Sorry Woody, I thought I did address that. We have not been a doormat, from the 1980’s until now we have been succeeding. Our GDP has more than doubled since NAFTA and much more than that if you go back to the 70’s prior to real republican efforts to reduce tariffs and increase international trade. Let’s use Harley as a micro example. People complain because there’s a lot of foreign parts content in Harley’s and from there they jump to an unfounded conclusion that this is bad and evidence of us “being a doormat”. Well, what was Harley’s production like in the 60’s and 70’s? What was the product quality like? What were corporate profits and overall employment like? The reality is it’s a better company with a better product with much better sales today. Short term fluctuations aside American motorcycle buyers are way ahead of where we were before the global economy. The fact that those socialist countries still haven’t figured it out doesn’t make us a doormat, it makes them a doormat. We have both the number 1 economy in the world and we can buy the best products for less money here. Raising taxes on American consumers takes us in the wrong direction.

  84. 84 Woody's Mar 8th, 2018 at 6:44 pm

    Bob S please don’t expect me to accept we’ve been doing really well as a reason why we have lower tariffs on many products then other countries on the exact same products. That just means that we have done okay despite the opportunity cost.

  85. 85 BobS Mar 8th, 2018 at 10:00 pm

    Woody’s all I’m asking you to accept is that when you raise prices it doesn’t raise sales, it does the opposite. Tariffs are taxes paid by consumers. If you think raising taxes on Americans is good for Americans, so be it, we can agree to disagree. I believe in free market capitalism, not a socialist centralized government controlling what can and can not enter the market through heavy taxation.

  86. 86 Woody's Mar 9th, 2018 at 8:16 am

    I believe in free trade and the capitalist way also, but that can only exist in a vacuum. You can’t have free trade when you are dealing with countries that get government subsidies or are paying their workers $2 a day. Simply saying over and over again that it will raise prices doesn’t address who we should compare the price to. This whole one happy world economy will only work when the entire planet has approximately the same lifestyle and economy. So far the plan is to raise up third world countries while dragging the us down to meet in the middle. I’m sorry, but I can’t buy into a plan like that. Then we have the Al Gore’s of the world who tell us our pollution is bad while we’re supposed to help third world countries produce more than we do.

  87. 87 BobS Mar 9th, 2018 at 8:49 am

    Our real point of disagreement is wether or not country A’s import tariffs punish country B, or country A’s own consumers. My stance is when the government taxes the material we make stuff out of, the price of our manufactured goods goes up. Due to some of the points you make, like labor costs, it’s cheaper for Ford to build cars in Mexico than it is in Detroit. Now the price of steel will be higher in America than it is in Mexico too. Trump just gave manufactures more reason to leave not less. The concept of comparative advantage addresses international trade that doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Yes some trading partners have advantages like cheap labor, we have advantages too like worker education, skill, and productivity. There’s value in paying a worker double if it triples productivity and cuts other costs like shipping and recalls. The bottom line of the concept is if we focus on doing what we’re good at and not “wasting” our resources on producing what we could import for less we end up with a higher GDP which is a necessity for employment and wage growth. You can also see this in countries that have higher wages with better benefits than US workers but still have competitive economies. The proof is in the pudding, as we’ve lowered our tariffs and market barriers our economy has grown. We led the world out of the Great Recession, socialist countries who tax their own people through tariffs did not.

  88. 88 Woody's Mar 9th, 2018 at 11:24 pm

    I’ll make it as simple as possible-no way we should have a voluntary non-level playing field. Period. Short term hardships are fine for long term respect. My account has a doormat that doesn’t say, “welcome”, it says, “Come back with a warrant”. I’m not making that up, and that’s one reason I do business with her.

  89. 89 Woody's Mar 10th, 2018 at 7:27 am

    Oops, didn’t proofread my voice to text well enough. Was supposed to say my accountant, not my account

  90. 90 BobS Mar 10th, 2018 at 7:33 am

    Love the doormat and I agree, we should not voluntarily shackle our own economy just cause we’re peeved that another country has bad policy and taxes it’s citizens at a higher rate than we do.

  91. 91 BobS Mar 10th, 2018 at 7:47 am

    Apparently my point isn’t simple or clear so I’ll offer an alternative. Who are we pissed at? For the sake of argument can we stick with Harley as our example and say we’re pissed at India because their high tariffs hurt Harley’s exports? If we agree on this then don’t raise the price of steel through tariffs that punish Americans. Get tough, something that would require a real leader. Get Mexico and Canada to join us, and for even better measure get Germany and Japan on board to. Now we say this trading block it going to place a tariff on all Indian imports that equal India’s highest tariff. NOW India is f*cked if they don’t lower tariffs and our little trading block can easily replace Indian imports while we wait. Don’t pussy foot around, do it right, make it hard and swift. Once India flinches and lowers tariffs then we pick who we’re pissed at next. China? Brazil? Indonesia? Doesn’t really matter. Once one falls the rest will capitulate sooner rather than later as they’ve alreqdy seen the results. Ending trade wars is much more profitable for American companies and our economy than starting them is.

  92. 92 Woody's Mar 10th, 2018 at 10:25 am

    Here’s that doormat https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/717bJHn2pnL._SL1000_.jpg hopefully that doesn’t violate any rules, there are several vendors who sell it

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Cyril Huze