Wilburine – December 15th a “Good Time” to Apply More U.S. Tariffs on China

Consrvative Treehouse (Fox Business) | December 2nd, 2019 | sundance

[BeauBo]

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross appears on Fox Business to discuss the status of the U.S-China trade “negotiations” :::nudge-nudge, wink-wink::: and highlights the ‘phase-1’ fulcrum is China committing to the $50b Ag purchase without condition. Secretary Ross also notes the December 15th date just happens to be “good timing” if the U.S. team is “forced” to put more tariffs on China. LOL.

[BeauBo]

The next round of new tariffs on Chinese imports, scheduled for December 15th, are all ready to go into effect if there is no deal made (15% on another $112 billion of goods per year).

These tariffs would focus on electronics and finished consumer goods, unlike the early rounds, which targeted industrial goods and intermediate components.

After 15 December (as Wilbur notes), these tariffs will have no impact on our Christmas shopping, as the shipping times are longer than that.

The types of goods targeted in this round (toys, laptops, smartphones and digital cameras), are the end product of an elaborate supply chain, highly concentrated in Guangdong Province in Southern China (their "Silicon Valley"). That area would be hit very hard with a cascade of layoffs and closures - potentially mirroring our "Rust Belt" decline - but at a much more rapid pace. The exodus of companies moving their supply chains out of China will likely accelerate.

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross (American Hero) was likely making his appearance to either:

A. Warn the markets, and lessen the shock, or, B. Pressure the Chinese negotiators to make a deal the Americans will want.

I am guessing that we will be back on the tariff train on December 15th, so that the Chicoms will be on a very short leash when the election nears.