re: Is the goal of the tariffs to negotiate free trade deals or is it to onshore jobs?

Good post.

I used to view the trade deficit sort of as a benefit until it is not.

Meaning, as long as things run smoothly we get cheap consumer goods and in return other countries help finance our deficits, so we get to spend large amounts of money with very little penalty. no other country on earth can have the sort of debt we have, and we get to do that, in part, because of the large amount of foreign goods we consume.

But, if those foreign governments someday collectively decided it was not in their interests to continue propping up the dollar then we are in big trouble.

But with the sort of deficits we have been running for the last 20-25 years, it is just too much. It needs to be reigned in substantially. Just consider that 20 years ago we reached a record of foreign debt being 15% of GDP. Today it is 30%

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We run a trade (added for clarity) deficit by sending them dollars. Your response is to something I did not say.

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Sorry. I misunderstood.

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I look for American made but currently there are damn few options.

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There are all sorts of websites that can point you to American made goods, clothing and shoes included. You could, if you wanted to, be typing on a keyboard made right here in Kentucky. You're probably not.

At least twice I've seen people here say "If we made XXX in the US", and it was something we do actually make in the US. They don't bother to find out what we make here, they just like to talk about making things here. If people don't pay for US goods now because they're expensive I don't know why they want the government to squash the competition and force them to do so.

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Both. Fair trade not equal trade with a return to infrastructure manufacturing

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In the 21st century there needs to be a middle.

Free trade allows us to get goods cheaper, but it hurts our jobs especially in manufacturing. It also allows countries to make cheap products with cheap labor.

Fair trade raises prices. 1 thing fair trade does is put more regulations on foreign countries that make products sent to America. The regulations make sure that their workers are getting paid fairly and that 10 year olds aren’t making our refrigerators. Regulations cause a rise in prices, because foreign companies have to pay more to make goods.

You can buy a good DeWalt impact drill that is assembled in America using Chinese goods or you can buy generic drill on Temu that looks the same for an 1/8th the price assembled in China. The products made in China are terrible and may last a few months. We need there goods, but need them assembled here.

One fix would be to charge a small tariff on finished products. This helps US manufacturing and gives us better American made products. They could have reciprocal tariff on our finished goods.

Right now we are paying a high tariff on their unfinished goods and it raises the price made here.

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Which country has increased their UST holdings the past 20 years?

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According to the Federal Reserve, Foreign held Treasury debt increased from about $1T in 2001 to $8.5T end of 2024. About 55% of that $8.5T was held by private sector entities and 45% by central banks. It's not always easy to tell who owns that debt because some of it accumulates in financial centers (like Luxembourg or City of London) and governments aren't necessarily transparent about their activities on foreign exchange markets or their reserve holdings.. The top financial center area holders recently were Euro Area ($1.8T), Japan (1.06T) and China/Hong Kong (1.10T). Euro area has probably seen the largest single increase in holdings over that time period.

Economics is only one aspect though. This is far more nuanced since we have been bleeding jobs, have a debt crisis, have other countries with all of their hands in the proverbial cookie jar with no recourse, etc. In this case, tariffs are used as a negotiating tactic in the end. So, yes, both things can be true just not necessarily in tandem. Nor do they have to be. Especially if you can box China out.

You're like a trusting puppy, aren't you?

It’s a combination of both you moron!

This question & sarcasm, Tells us your dumb as a box of rocks without telling us outright!

It will take some time & it’s a balancing act! But the ENTIRETY of MAGA’s overall plan, re-establishes the USA from getting bent over!

Why in hell should we pay more on tariffs than we charge????

And pay for NATO?

And Social Security fraud?

All the DOGE FRAUD, USAID, NGO scams

Illegals making more money than many tax payers

All of our manufacturing shipped overseas and we are dependant on countries that hate us!

Our ENTIRE ECONOMY & Quality of Life is gonna flourish!

Maybe we pay more for certain goods? BUT pay no taxes or taxes slashed big time!

Do your research! Pre-1913/THE FED

There was no IRS!

I’d rather keep my tax money and pay for an American worker that will keep the money here

Some of you people on this board are straight ignorant or brainwashed liberal tranny lovers, and part of the problem