AFL-CIO chief defends Trump move: 'Tariffs won't start a trade war'

[DonViejo]

Source: The Hill




BY JOSH DELK - 03/08/18 05:19 PM EST

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka on Thursday argued there is no danger President Trump's new tariffs will start a trade war, siding with the president on tariffs that have angered the GOP.

"Tariffs won't start a trade war, there's 435 of them in place today to fight trade cheaters. People may not like how Pres Trump rolled these out, but I applaud him for trying," the union boss tweeted.

Trumka, the leader of the nation's largest trade union association, has become a staunch advocate for Trump's new tariffs, which Republicans have criticized.

Trump officially announced a new 25 percent steel tariff and 10 percent aluminum tariff on Thursday. The international community has warned of retaliation in response, prompting GOP worries that the move will spark an international trade war.

Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/377492-afl-cio-chief-defends-trump-move-tariffs-wont-start-a-trade-war

[shanny]

1. What to do what to do what to do?

Lets see: those who hate Trump (and a subset of those who hate Bernie) are shrieking that the tariffs are BAD. OTOH the Kochs and Gary Cohn (i.e. Goldman Sachs) hate them also. And now union president Trumka seems unfazed.

What to do?

[Bernardo de La Paz]

2. It is very unwise to decide on what to do based on who says it is good and who says it is bad

Decide on the merits.

Don't decide based on whether a union chief or billionaire or reality show host or bar mate like them or not.

[shanny]

4. um, that was my point....

and btw America is already in a trade war and has been for years

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-trade-war-globalization_us_5a99dacfe4b089ec353a4c95

i know i know it's huffpo...but a good article nonetheless

eta: another word on billionaires et al: personally I have found it a very good rule of thumb that if Goldman Sachs or the Kochs like a policy, it is not good for me.

[paleotn]

6. Appreciate the intricacies of the global supply chain....

developed over the last 30+ years, and understand that just kicking the legs out from under the damn thing is not only incredibly dangerous but incredibly stupid. Don't forget what Smoot-Hawley did to the US economy during the Great Depression.

http://money.cnn.com/2016/07/07/news/economy/trump-trade-smoot-hawley/index.html

A significant portion of US steel imports are unfinished steel. Raising costs will harm steel mills that process unfinished ingots into sheets, coils, wire, etc.....harming the very people who are supposed to benefit.

And then there's the issue of inflation. Harming everyone but the rich.

Shit Gibbon's ideas are about as smart as killing flies with hand grenades. The flies will be dead, but your house? Well.....

[former9thward]

7. When Obama imposed tariffs were they dumb?

Was there a trade war? Was there inflation?

When Hillary Clinton supported W Bush's tariffs on steel was she wrong? Did we have a trade war? Was there inflation?

[paleotn]

10. Those were focused tariffs, and did not work out all that well....

The tire tariff ended up increasing the overall cost of tires for American consumers and saved few jobs. American producers were able to actually increase prices and remain competitive, harming everyone except tire company executives. W's steel tariff did likewise. Causing more economic harm than it solved.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/what-tariffs-has-the-u-s-tried-in-the-past-and-how-did-they-work-out/

So yes, they were both dumb. Market economics in this modern world are very complex and just doing something willy-nilly, that may "sound" good, usually causes far more harm than it solves. Unraveling global supply chains takes time and concerted effort, not bar stool bravado. It took generations to get us into this shape, it will take more than some orange blow hard slinging bullshit to get us out.

[KPN]

11. It seems reasonable that a supply-chain that took years to create

will take some time (years?) to unravel. That's understandable. How would that happen? What are the steps?

[paleotn]

19. The start is a national industrial policy.

What industries do we want to protect and incentivize with tax policy, etc. What industries do we not. And how will all that affect the standard of living for all Americans. And then make decisions based on sound economics. Not a bunch of bullshit, dreamed up in the senile mind of an orange moron.

[former9thward]

13. I will stand with the unions.

You can stand with the libertarian free traders.

[paleotn]

18. No, I stand with good sense

and recognizing that things are a bit more complicated than you apparently realize. Thus, just thrown out plans that sound good, but aren't well thought out can harm the very people you're trying to help.

[Cha]

15. Thank you for explaining that to the poster, paleontn

It's not his hyperbolic scenario..

"Lets see: those who hate Trump (and a subset of those who hate Bernie) are shrieking that the tariffs are BAD. OTOH the Kochs and Gary Cohn (i.e. Goldman Sachs) hate them also. And now union president Trumka seems unfazed."

[Wellstone ruled]

26. You reply is the most acurate of all.

Everything is in place much like 1929,and we have a idiot President in place much like 1929. As far as Steel Jobs coming back,Trumpka has to look in the Mirror. It Ain't going to happen. China has somewhere close to two hundred percent of over capacity and they have locked in Ore Contracts that we can not even begin to compete with. Our Iron Ore quality is garbage. To costly to convert,that is why the mills went off shore.

And our Mills are mega out dated and if one things Wall Street is going to put money into this lose lose industry,for get about it.



And I am pro Union and have been a Union Member my whole life. One has to adjust to changing Technology and if you don't, you are toast.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

3. More of Trumka's members benefit than get hurt in a metals tariff ignited trade war.

For the rest of US workers it is the other way around.

Yes there will be a trade war and the US will lose. The US has the most to lose.

tRump's America First slogan is rapidly turning into America All Alone.

Making America Go Alone

[KPN]

12. Winners and losers, whose ox gets gored.

Last edited Fri Mar 9, 2018, 12:03 PM - Edit history (1)

Sure. Makes sense. What is the win-win, domestically and potentially globally? Do we have an answer to that or is it always an ox gets gored?

[Blue_Tires]

21. But what about the UAW?

Link to tweet

[Bernardo de La Paz]

23. Exactly. UAW jobs at risk for sake of a few AFL-CIO jobs. . . . . nt

[MichMan]

24. Umm...... The UAW is part of the AFL-CIO

Why would Ford be closing their Chicago plants?

[Bernardo de La Paz]

25. Tariffs will add about $175 to avg car price, a report says. Thus US built cars less competitive. nt

[duforsure]

5. In reality

Didn't he only sign a proclamation? Not an EO.

[former9thward]

8. No.

Please don't believe all the nonsense you read on the internet. Congress has passed laws --not EOs or "proclamations" --which give presidents the legal authority to impose tariffs.

[onenote]

14. +1

[duforsure]

16. What did he sign then ? I'm confused .

He held something up after signing it.

[former9thward]

20. Presidents hold ceremonies in the Oval Office where they issue proclamations.

What Trump did in the Oval Office ceremony was to sign a proclamation showing what he did with the tariffs. The proclamation is simply a document explaining how he exercised his legal authority. It is very dishonest for someone to imply the president doesn't have legal authority to issue a tariff. All presidents have issued tariffs or similar fees during their terms.

[duforsure]

17. It was listed on Rachel Maddow as a tarriff proclamation

[Dawson Leery]

9. Talk to the Harley workers.

Harley has been targeted by every nation that has been targeted by the tariffs.

[Blue_Tires]

22. Except for the part where Donnie exempted Mexico and Canada

and strongly hinted that other pissed off nations might be able to eventually get exemptions as well, i.e., if they give up something to make it happen...

These "tariffs" are nothing more than an old-style Mafia shakedown...