Whats wrong with an import tax?

[Greenman]

I never see that mentioned in here, never see it in the news. Why don't we impose a tax on imports? While I can see some issues with it, there is a lot to be said for bringing some of our exported jobs back home.

 

[dank69]

I never see that mentioned in here, never see it in the news. Why don't we impose a tax on imports? While I can see some issues with it, there is a lot to be said for bringing some of our exported jobs back home.

Sounds great, lets make everything more expensive in a terrible economy.

 

[Vette73]

Because then we get taxed on exports.

Look at China when they walled up their country and see how well that worked VS now.

 

[fskimospy]

I never see that mentioned in here, never see it in the news. Why don't we impose a tax on imports? While I can see some issues with it, there is a lot to be said for bringing some of our exported jobs back home.

Other countries will do the same thing and tariffs add costs to consumers without commensurate benefit. Trade barriers are generally a bad idea unless you're trying to build up infant national industries, which we are not.

 

[Bird222]

Other countries will do the same thing and tariffs add costs to consumers without commensurate benefit. Trade barriers are generally a bad idea unless you're trying to build up infant national industries, which we are not.

Generally would many other countries do it or just the country that we raised tariffs on. I.e. if we did it on China would China be the only country that would retaliate?

 

[ProfJohn]

Trade wars are bad because everyone losses.

Look at the Great Depression and notice that every country in the world raised tariffs and it brought world trade to a stand still making things worse.

 

[fskimospy]

Generally would many other countries do it or just the country that we raised tariffs on. I.e. if we did it on China would China be the only country that would retaliate?

No idea, but if countries saw a lot of their neighbors putting up barriers I think it's reasonable to assume they would follow suit.

Tariffs are great for you if you happen to work in the industry protected by the tariff, but they are bad for everyone else. We as consumers would see prices go up on everything, and we wouldn't get much back for it.

There's a case for retaliating against China's currency manipulation, but I think if we really wanted to go that route that it's something better pushed through the WTO than through unilateral trade barriers. (if we win through the WTO, it's much more difficult for China to retaliate)

 

[Gonad the Barbarian]

Just to get this straight, you free trade faithfuls are still clinging to the claim that fewer international trade barriers have helped this country economically? Really? You really don't hear that giant sucking sound do you?

 

[Greenman]

Other countries will do the same thing and tariffs add costs to consumers without commensurate benefit. Trade barriers are generally a bad idea unless you're trying to build up infant national industries, which we are not.

I think there is a good argument to be made that we are indeed trying to build up national industry, because we have almost none. Also, lots of country's have an import duty, the UK and Canada right off the top of my head.
I get that protectionism is generally a bad thing, but at the same time, there has to be a limit on how much of our economy we can move offshore.

 

[Fear No Evil]

Just to get this straight, you free trade faithfuls are still clinging to the claim that fewer international trade barriers have helped this country economically? Really? You really don't hear that giant sucking sound do you?

Yeah no kidding. Its worse than Haiti around here. There's one family I know who had to decide if they were going to buy his kids games for their PS3, Wii, or Xbox360 for Christmas.. My god! The humanity! I think they settled on PS3 games this year for Xmas.. Hopefully the children won't starve.

 

[biostud]

all countries have some sort of taxes on import, often applied for specific types of goods. EU has an import tax on goods from outside EU, but not on the goods produced inside EU.

 

[ProfJohn]

Just to get this straight, you free trade faithfuls are still clinging to the claim that fewer international trade barriers have helped this country economically? Really? You really don't hear that giant sucking sound do you?

Among large countries we have the highest per capita GDP and standard of living so I would say that free trade has helped us.

Our median income is also the highest among large nations in the world.

 

[Anarchist420]

The problem isn't a lack of tariffs, it's the fact that the government has so many barriers to domestic manufacturing.

 

[piasabird]

Free trade is worthless if you cant find a job. If we play by the rules there is no guarantee that other countries realy have free trade. For instance if a country like China backs its industry by subsidising it, then it is not really free trade. Just try to open your business in China. You will not believe the levels of red tape and government intervention you will have to go through.

I see no reason not to have tarriffs against Chinese goods. The reason for this is that China allows their own companies to pollute the air and pollute the earth. Then they also allow cars to be built that fall way below our pollution standards. I say until they come close to meeting our pollution standards, they should have tarriffs.

Another problem is not that the imports from China cost less, but also we should not allow any one country all of our business. We should spread around our wealth more. We should encourage other countries like in South America and Africa to also supply us with goods. If we rely on any one country too much what happens if there is a war or a change in their trade policy? Where will we buy our goods then? This is why we need to encourage production of goods to be spread out and more industry brought back to our own shores. What happens if just one superpower tries to control the seas?

 

[Moonbeam]

Look what happens when you tax people. Sure the government needs the money and sure the people are better off with government initiated infrastructure, but people will just become Republicans because Republicans have no moral cares for the welfare of the country and will lie to get elected by promising to lower taxes. Over and over, as those with knowledge die, Republicans will think again of taxing imports because taxing imports is a hidden tax on the people. Republicans are scum so they come up with scum ideas.

Sure tax imports and start a trade war. Now there's an idea.

Republicans are the real America, America's hind end as it were, and to save the country all they have to do is buy American and nothing else. Demand American made on everything you buy. F imports. Be a real American you bargain hunting bums. But now, you slit the throats of your Mom and Pop stores to save a nickel at Wall o China Mart.

Americans can't see a ten minutes ahead of them what the consequences of their actions are so they f themselves at every turn. Rage on blind brain dead America.

 

[piasabird]

Maybe we are in a trade war already??

 

[JS80]

This is like asking what's wrong with shooting ourselves in the foot. Or face.

 

[Scotteq]

We damned well do tax imports all the time:


USDA Tariff schedule
http://www.fas.usda.gov/itp/us-tariff-sch.asp

US Tariff and Duty Rates
http://usaexportimport.com/usa-tariffs-duty-rates.php

US International Trade Comission
http://www.dataweb.usitc.gov/


...and links to a copy of the official "Harmonized Tariff Schedule"
http://www.usitc.gov/tata/hts/


They use the term "Harmonized" because the different countries negotiate what rates will be charged on what imported/exported goods.

 

[fskimospy]

Just to get this straight, you free trade faithfuls are still clinging to the claim that fewer international trade barriers have helped this country economically? Really? You really don't hear that giant sucking sound do you?

Long term evaluations of free trade, both academic and by government and NGOs show that free trade adds pretty significantly to a country's GDP over time. There are winners and there are losers, but it's a net positive.

The policy prescription for this is strong free trade principles coupled with a social safety net to aid the losers in the free trade scheme. For example, the Nordic countries that are the envy of the world combine very strong free trade principles with this sort of welfare state, and they do it very effectively. Our primary problem in the US is that we have a movement that forgets half of this recipe.

 

[Elias824]

I think there is a good argument to be made that we are indeed trying to build up national industry, because we have almost none.

That's a myth, the US still produces more goods by a large margin then any other country on the planet. The difference is that per hour of labor we can produce alot more due to large capital investments that are already here. So to say we build alot of shit we just dont need that many people to do it anymore. We also tend to build more technical stuff, china mostly produces low tech garbage products.

Problem is if we forced more manufacturing to come back here, likely most of it would end up automated and it wouldn't really contribute that much in terms of jobs.

 

[Atreus21]

I never see that mentioned in here, never see it in the news. Why don't we impose a tax on imports? While I can see some issues with it, there is a lot to be said for bringing some of our exported jobs back home.

Because it starts trade wars.

 

[MooseNSquirrel]

Free trade only works when everyone plays by the same general rules.

But hey, Walmart is happy.

 

[Acanthus]

Trade wars are bad because everyone losses.

Look at the Great Depression and notice that every country in the world raised tariffs and it brought world trade to a stand still making things worse.

Err if we stopped trade entirely the United States would benefit.

1. job creation from in house factories.
2. massive trade deficit erased.
3. tax revenue from what we dont create in house.
4. we stop giving our enemies money.
5. the gini index in our own country falls. (conservatives will love that)
6. less social welfare needed in the united states.

This would be even more effective if we only created trade tarriffs based on the disparity between our standard of living and the standard of living in foreign nations.

Example:

Vietnam: 500%, China 450%, India 400%, Germany 0%, Canada 0%, UK 0%...

If you want to trade with the US, it has to be on fair terms.

 

[Acanthus]

Free trade only works when everyone plays by the same general rules.

But hey, Walmart is happy.

This.

 

[Throckmorton]

Here is what I don't understand... People keep saying a tariff war hurts everybody. Since our import/export ratio is so imbalanced, doesn't that mean that by definition less free trade helps us?