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Here’s What Trump Doesn’t Get About American Manufacturing
Fortune ^ | 2017-01-14 | Bill George

Posted on 01/14/2017 7:14:50 PM PST by E. Pluribus Unum

If the Roman emperors ruled by edict, President-elect Donald Trump appears poised to rule by tweet. Even before taking office, Trump has discovered he can move the world’s largest global corporations with simple, 140-character tweets. And though his aggressive approach is winning politically, good politics doesn’t necessarily mean good economics.

Voters see Trump fulfilling his campaign promises to close America’s borders and bring jobs back home. He is using the bully pulpit to stand up for workers by taking on the most powerful American companies, including Ford (F, +0.32%), General Motors (GM, -0.45%), Toyota (TM, +0.14%), Boeing (BA, +0.34%), Lockheed Martin (LMT, +0.76%), and United Technologies (UTX, -0.54%)/Carrier.

Thus far, no CEOs have had the courage to stand up to Trump. General Motors CEO Mary Barra has said the company’s small-car production will remain in Mexico, but it could only be a matter of time before she’s forced to change course. Trump’s sudden tweets likely worry many CEOs who fear they may be his next target. Right now, most have just tried to stay out of his way. Some, like SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son and Fiat’s Sergio Marchionne, have put forth peace offerings to invest more in the U.S.

(Excerpt) Read more at fortune.com ...


TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: 2016issues; manufacturing; trumpeconomy; trumptransition
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To: Flaming Conservative

I agree.

Back then, America was the predominant power in the world, we exported everywhere, and everything, to everyone.

Bush was the head of the CIA for a while. Not an insignificant title itself. Bush was very, very well connected, and did a whole huge lot of very good things for America.

I agreed with him, when he was in power. But things have slid pretty dramatically too far in the other direction now.

Trump is everything Bush was not, but he seems to be a good guy, and I think he has America’s interested at the very top of his list.

Maybe not, but I sure have seen nothing, to indicate we’ve been tricked.

He seems exactly like what America needs. Completely so.


41 posted on 01/14/2017 8:26:06 PM PST by cba123 ( Toi la nguoi My. Toi bay gio o Viet Nam.)
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To: arthurus

Tariffs are fine and 20% across the board would be great.

Why are income taxes and the like “healthy,” while excise taxes are “unhealthy?” One penalizes work while the other penalizes foreign goods that don’t pay any tax.

Excuse taxes and regulatory reduction would let the reduction in business tax occur.


42 posted on 01/14/2017 8:29:33 PM PST by ConservativeMind ("Humane" = "Don't pen up pets or eat meat, but allow infanticides, abortion, and euthanasia.")
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To: Sgt_Schultze

“Why jump through labor hoops and run the risk of strikes and fines when you can relocate the company to other countries where no such protections exist. Hell, they may even permit you to employ their children.”

Exactly. If Trump can BREAK THE BACKS OF UNIONS and get rid of the stupid regulations, we won’t even need tariffs, as it will be CHEAPER for companies to stay here...or move back.


43 posted on 01/14/2017 8:31:25 PM PST by BobL (In Honor of the NeverTrumpers, I declare myself as FR's first 'Imitation NeverTrumper')
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Economics & Manufacturing bump for later.....


44 posted on 01/14/2017 8:32:06 PM PST by indthkr
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To: BobL

Tariffs make foreign goods pay a tax burden similar to what our companies pay. It also helps ensure more employment of US citizens and help guarantee we have industries here in times of international crisis.

We don’t want to be dependent on computers and steel from China simply because we got rid of all of that here.


45 posted on 01/14/2017 8:35:47 PM PST by ConservativeMind ("Humane" = "Don't pen up pets or eat meat, but allow infanticides, abortion, and euthanasia.")
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To: ConservativeMind

I’m cool with tariffs, but Americans will suffer, BIG TIME, if we don’t stop extortion from unions and regulators at the same time.

We cannot have both - an economy that strangles manufacturing and trade barriers which bar cheap imports...it will bring us down to Third World levels.

But I’m fine with the trade barriers, provided we take the steps needed to allow manufacturing to resume (on the necessary scale) here.


46 posted on 01/14/2017 8:40:44 PM PST by BobL (In Honor of the NeverTrumpers, I declare myself as FR's first 'Imitation NeverTrumper')
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To: BobL
But I’m fine with the trade barriers, provided we take the steps needed to allow manufacturing to resume (on the necessary scale) here.

The tariff IS the step. Look at all the companies that are able to turn on a dime and switch manufacturing back the the USA. It is easier than we think.

47 posted on 01/14/2017 8:48:50 PM PST by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Get the damn government out of the way.


48 posted on 01/14/2017 8:51:55 PM PST by stocksthatgoup (Imagine that)
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To: BobL
Americans are suffering, depression, mental illness and drug abuse because there are few opportunities compered to previous generations unless you are well connected or have a skill level way above average and motivation to go to school for years accepting huge debt. Even then there are few opportunities.

Globalism sucks buttholes.

49 posted on 01/14/2017 8:53:07 PM PST by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn.)
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To: central_va

Anything is possible - the question is whether Americans are ready to see prices DOUBLE if we don’t get labor and regulations under control - after all, there’s a reason our industrial base moved to China, Mexico, and elsewhere.

I doubt that Americans are ready for that...so it wouldn’t be too smart for Trump or any Republicans to support just the barriers.


50 posted on 01/14/2017 8:54:24 PM PST by BobL (In Honor of the NeverTrumpers, I declare myself as FR's first 'Imitation NeverTrumper')
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To: BobL

I think that Americans have seen what happens to their country at the cost of cheap goods and would be VERY WILLING to pay more for American made!! You must also realize that Americans will be making more money right now our country has become a service industry men don’t work getting their hands dirty anymore, more and more men can’t fix anything themselves anymore men in our country are becoming pansies!!!


51 posted on 01/14/2017 9:08:51 PM PST by Trump Girl Kit Cat (Yosemite Sam raising hell)
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To: BobL
Prices won't double, that is total speculation. How many man-hours do you think goes into a car? a TV?

It takes 30 man-hours to build a car. It takes less than 1 man-hour to build a TV.

A car Made in the USA will cost probably 8% more, a TV maybe 5% more.

52 posted on 01/14/2017 9:21:30 PM PST by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn.)
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To: ConservativeMind

So we should put a 44% excise tax on corn now? How well do you think that will work?


53 posted on 01/14/2017 11:21:07 PM PST by cornfedcowboy
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To: central_va
What we need is a 30% import tariff

Tariffs are taxes. Taxes are evil. You're mad!

and let the “Captains of Industry” deal with it.

WTF are they?

The tariffs should be 0%, and I, as a consumer (who pays plenty of taxes already), will deal with it. The hell with the captains, they are crony crapitalists!

54 posted on 01/14/2017 11:46:53 PM PST by cynwoody
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To: cornfedcowboy; All
I think you will enjoy a historical perspective on US tariffs.

.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tariffs_in_United_States_history

55 posted on 01/15/2017 12:57:59 AM PST by Cobra64 (Common sense isn't common any more.)
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To: central_va
Yup.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tariffs_in_United_States_history

56 posted on 01/15/2017 12:58:36 AM PST by Cobra64 (Common sense isn't common any more.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Funny how so many of the big money folks fear Trump - I thought he was going to be their greatest friend........


57 posted on 01/15/2017 3:44:49 AM PST by trebb (Where in the the hell has my country gone?)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Seems for an article about manufacturing they dove immediately into his use of twitter. THAT is the problems liberals have, that he doesn’t need their media anti-American communist propaganda machines.


58 posted on 01/15/2017 4:32:50 AM PST by CodeToad (If it weren't for physics and law enforcement, I'd be unstoppable!)
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To: snippy_about_it

” if there are not enough current residents to do the job”

That’s BS. Try getting a minimum wage job these days without speaking spanish.


59 posted on 01/15/2017 4:33:46 AM PST by CodeToad (If it weren't for physics and law enforcement, I'd be unstoppable!)
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To: cornfedcowboy

why does the Reliant K car come to mind??


60 posted on 01/15/2017 4:38:43 AM PST by sit-rep
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