Trump Tariffs

@UNIMAN

 Context lacking, they are comparing the current bloated carp to other GOP POTUS doods and was Reagan really a true ultra conservative? Reagan was a puppet who like Trump has a background machine turning the wheels but the difference is the Reagan machine was not offensive far extremist project 2025 white power focused. I think that tells you how bad Trump is if Reagan looks reasonable.

  REUTERS HEADLINES this week . . . 

US manufacturing mired in weakness
     as Trump tariff gloom spreads

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -

U.S. manufacturing contracted for an 8th straight month [under trump regime]  as new orders remained subdued, and suppliers were taking longer to deliver materials to factories against the backdrop of Trump tariffs on imported goods. 

@fubah2  "numbers of manufacturing jobs"

According to Blue green alliance, 775,000 manufacturing jobs were added during Biden administration.  In contrast, over 200,000 manufacturing jobs were lost during Trump first term.  

Correct, and now manufacturing (overall) has contracted for the 8th straight month under the much vaunted trump-MAGA regime.

Costco and many companies are suing Trump administration for full refund of tariffs.  So far, every court has ruled against illegal tariffs.  Absurd to declare everything is a emergency so that he can abuse power.

In Fortune interview, Elon Musk warned Trump against tariffs which US manufacturers blame for higher production costs, turn to more overseas production and diminishing American factory jobs.  US manufacturing contracted in November for 9th consecutive month according to Institute for supply management.

Fortune reports that Trump tariffs are generating far less revenue than what white house predicted.  Unrealistic to expect tariffs to reduce national debt or pay $2000 dividend to each American.  No way tariffs can replace income tax revenue.  Tariffs hurt US consumers, economic growth and relation with the world.

All of this is 100% true ! But it also shows the world how little influence you have ! Europe has grown more in GDP this year - then they have for decades ! China changed your soya bean supply within a few weeks - and has basically spanked you around every time Trump has had the audacity to show up - and the only reason EU hasn’t done the same is because we need you for Ukraine - if it was only a trade war we could easily spank you around like China (also in ways that would dwarf what China can do) !! Tariffs is the economic version of an atomic bomb - it does most of it positives threatening to use it - doesn’t change that much positive to actually use it

Said in other words - Trump has single handly destroyed the biggest economic leverage you had - and it will influence every international deal you will strike in this millennium (if you even will be a country for that long)

[Quote: Originally Posted by wallstreetcappers]Ok easy on the Trump tirade bender lately, try to be more considerate to others here who for some reason might support and like him.[/Quote] 

[Quote: Originally Posted by wallstreetcappers]@cd329  I'm just saying that the excessive relentless Trump attacks might be valid but the going to hell and digs on TNC members is for sure going to offend and cause friction with other members. I'd rather see more fact and content than the personal below the belt sort of stuff.[/Quote]

April 2025.... I see this went over well for the Kool Aid man and he took the advice to heart 

The ISM Manufacturing report seems to show that all of the stalwarts in Washington that said tariffs could not bring back American manufacturing and that it could not be done may have gotten it wrong.  In fact, they got it very wrong.

A look at a few of the numbers:

The ISM manufacturing PMI for Jan registered a 52.6.  This is the first time it has entered expansion territory since Feb '25.  This was a 4.7% increase from Dec which was 47.9.  This was very unexpected and far better than the forecast of 48.5.  This was the highest expansion since 2022.

The New Orders Index was up 9.7 points. 

The Production Index was up 5.2 points.

The Employment Index was up 3.3 points.

The Prices Index was up .5 points.

The Manufacturing New Orders was up 3.7 points.

By looking at the sectors that are expanding versus the ones that are still in contraction you can see the difference between the jobs that are being 'on-shored' versus jobs that are being 'near-shored'.

In other words, the 'on-shoring' means that it will be built domestically, while 'near-shoring' means that because of labor costs it is more efficient to 'near-shore' it.  For example, textiles or such, where in Mexico the labor cost to produce shirts makes more sense to let them manufacture those.  They are, on average, around $4.80/hr for labor.

So, tariffs have helped to 'on-shore' a lot of manufacturing.

There were some other critical things in the report.  To all of the naysayers, for the first time in 30 years the USA overtook Japanese steel in production.  For the first time in 40 years the USA built a new aluminum factory.  John Deere is 're-shored'.  Apple is 're-shored'.  A number of countries have already started to build manufacturing facilities domestically.  

So, for the folks saying that tariffs could not bring back jobs, or that it was too expensive to bring back jobs -- you got it wrong.

The ISM Manufacturing Report is finally starting to show growth in US domestic manufacturing. 

At any rate, all in all, the report looked pretty positive to start the year.

So, time will tell if things can be kept on a steady pace going forward.

I did see this quote from one guy I thought was interesting.  

"I wonder if the Democrats (if they get back in power) will undo all of this and send manufacturing back out abroad just because of the hate for Trump's success in bringing it back to the US."

I realize he meant it as sarcasm.  But it is a valid point about how it is hard for either party to keep anything in place for long without the other party undoing it or turning in another direction.

Sometimes we do not give things long enough to work out.  That can be good or bad.

But we shall see.

@Raiders22

  thank you for bringing this to attention , as these numbers are nowhere published by the US MSM 

Yep, and as the facts show, in 2025 the US actually had a net LOSS of more than 75,000 manufacturing jobs under trump's MAGA reich.

Reuters report recent improvement in manufacturing purchasing manager index may be temporary because manufacturers still complain about uncertainty such as anti-American sentiment in other countries.  Some buying may be to get ahead of expected cost increases due to tariffs.  Manufacturers have yet to experience the renaissance that Trump imagines.  US manufacturing jobs have declined by 65,000 in 2025.  In the long term, US manufacturing has been in retreat and Trump tariffs aren't helping according to Wall street journal.

But why do you think that is a positive development even if it is true? 

Tariffs has basically just made steel and aluminium so expensive - your companies can’t import it - so now they have to refine it in the US - which pushes the prices up - which makes your products more expensive - which makes you less competitive abroad 

Trading and economy is basically a “play” between countries - if you don’t buy and sell your stuff abroad - it doesn’t help you ! You didn’t buy from China or India in the past to help them or whatever - you did it because they were cheaper/better - so this is just deliberately hurt your competitiveness for no reason whatsoever 

The only scenarios this would help you as a country would be if you started exporting steel or aluminium - or you somehow surpassed the earlier providers in either cost or speed for your internal markets - and my money would be on the Asians for both cost and speed

Trumps problem is that he thinks trading needs to have a “loser” - trading almost always end up with two “winners” - no matter how big a trade deficit you run (which actually is close to irrelevant) ! Every country in the world has their role in this factory we call the “world” - your role - just like EU and most of the western world is to buy eastern “junk” and turn it into something good - why on Gods green earth you want to go back to being the manufacturer of junk is beyond me - esp. When you can see in Asian countries how they are treated and paid 

NPR reveals that Trump administration grants tariff exemptions favoring politically connected companies that give gifts or donations.  Rampant corruption and cronyism are among characteristics of fascism.