Posted on 03/04/2025 7:46:30 AM PST by SeekAndFind
I agree we shouldn’t have them however, if other countries are not reciprocating our free trade and charging us tariffs which is how we were screwed over for sixty years what do you propose, we ask them nicely to stop screwing us over and they blow us off then what?
Trump negotiated the current trade deal with Canada, they protect some of their industries with tariffs, we protect some of ours. I’d say get rid of it all, but Trump thought it was a good deal a few years ago, was he wrong?
Then why does Canada impose huge tariffs on the United States?
It is okay when they do it, right?
Tariffs have consequences.
Like when Canada put tariffs on our goods?
Yeah, that’s the idea.
What tariffs? I keep hearing this, but no one knows what they are.
Here is what Trudeau has imposed on America regarding tariffs.
Here are the key tariff rates Canada imposed on U.S.
imports as of October 31, 2024:
• Dairy: Milk (270%), Cheese (245%), Butter (298%)
• Poultry: Chicken (238%)
• Agricultural: Eggs (163%), Barley Seed (57.8%),
Bovine/Meat (26.5%)
• Manufactured: Cars (25%), HVAC (45%), Vacuums
(35%), Cable Boxes (35%), TVs (45%)
• Metals: Steel (25%), Aluminum (45%), Copper
(48%)
• Other: Sausages (69.9%)
These rates could have been subject to changes post-
reference date.
And Twinkle Toes, Fat Fruck and the Nazi are going all nuke over a measly 25% tariff.
OH NOES, DOWN 1.5%. A whole 650 points. The end of the world.
Well, you do notice that they never mention their tariffs on the US. Our media never mentions it either. Blobulists stick together on their lies of omission.
Friedman never said that
We grow all the avocados we need.
I’d give you an F in my economy class in the 80s.
no body was buying uless the price was ridiculously low
Then why do they put tariffs on our products or mostly not allow them to even be sold there?
They don’t allow dairy from the US among other products.
Geez.
Source for these numbers?
“Then why do they put tariffs on our products or mostly not allow them to even be sold there?”
1: It is incorrect that they don’t allow US products to be sold. We export $349 Billion in products to Canada, and import $412 billion, so relatively balanced (12% trade deficit).
2: Why is it allowed? Because Donald Trump made a deal with Canada called the USMCA, signed Dec 2019, allowing it.
Given that we should move to free-trade, how should we do so? The method that we have tried to adopt is reciprocal negotiation of tariff reductions with other countries. This seems to me a wrong procedure. In the first place, it ensures a slow pace. He moves fastest who moves alone. In the second place, it fosters an erroneous view of the basic problem. It makes it appear as if tariffs help the country imposing them but hurt other countries, as if when we reduce a tariff we give up something good and should get something in return in the form of a reduction in the tariffs imposed by other countries. In truth, the situation is quite different. Our tariffs hurt us as well as other countries. We would be benefited by dispensing with our tariffs even if other countries did not. We would of course be benefited even more if they reduce theirs but our benefiting does not require that they reduce tariffs. Self-interests coincide and do not conflict.
I believe that it would be far better for us to move to free trade unilaterally, as Britain did in the 19th century when it repealed the Corn Laws. We, as they did, would experience an enormous accession of political and economic power. We are a great nation and it ill behooves us to require reciprocal benefits from China, Mexico or Europe before we reduce a tariff on products from those countries. Let us live up to our destiny and set the pace not be reluctant followers.
A prompt but gradual program would be to legislate that all import quotas or other quantitative restrictions be raised by 20% a year until they are so high they become irrelevant and can be abandoned, and that all tariffs be reduced by 1/10 of the present level in each of the next 10 years.
There are few measures we could take that would do more to promote the cause of freedom at home and abroad. We could assume a consistent and principled stance by saying to the rest of the world: We believe in freedom and intend to practice it. No one can force you to be free. That is your business. But we can offer you full cooperation on equal terms to all. Our market is open to you. Sell here what you can and wish to. Use the proceeds to buy what you wish. In this way, co-operation among individuals can be worldwide yet free.
Milton Friedman 1962
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