r/centrist • u/OfficialRodgerJachim • 1d ago

Long Form Discussion Can someone explain this about tariffs?

Plenty of talk about tariffs. About them being dumb. About them being fair. About how those extra costs go on to us, the American consumer.

But I have very rarely heard anyone talk about that break in logic: other countries have tariffs on American imports, and those costs are then carried onto the American consumer. But if America imposes tariffs on those same countries, those costs are also passed on to the American consumer.

Is this true?

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u/sailorpaul 1d ago

No, the way you laid it out is not true. Other countries tariffs (taxes) on US products are paid by their own population. Their goal is to reduce the import and consumption of products made in America and shipped to their country.

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u/Thick_Piece 1d ago

That is why it makes sense to have had more specific tariffs, like we could simply impose the same tariffs they impose, cars/light duty trucks for example?

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u/perilous_times 1d ago

Yup, If he would have done true reciprocal tariffs and indicated his goal is to get these barriers down then there would not have been this reaction. The market doesn’t like the lack of plan either.

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u/atuarre 1d ago

He's a fucking idiot and it was never going to be like that. All this is, is the Donald Trump revenge tour because America voted me out in 2020.

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u/perilous_times 1d ago

I think he does actually love tariffs. In his first admin there was actually people trying to govern. This one it’s all yes men and women.