What are you thinking, CYCLING RELATED, on tariff subject

[5oakterrace]

I am 68. I figure I have so many years of biking left. My bikes are rim brake, 10 speed. Just bought the last frame I figure on buying. Rim brake, 70 percent off. I have lots of back up parts. The cost of chasing the gains offered by the new stuff is not worth the benefit to me. So I am not really affected by potential tariffs on bikes.
I am curious how the tariffs will affect Time bikes place as Time just opened a factory in South Carolina. They have a faster production capacity now, as well, which should lower their costs.

[jamesdak]

Originally Posted by fourflys

fair enough, my apologies..

No need. it's all good.

This is social media, if I ever get offended by something on here then that's my problem. I was just amused by it all.

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by jamesdak

So....he's trying to skirt the rules about political discussions? No one here would do that.

Don't know, ask him...

[jamesdak]

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

Don't know, ask him...

LOL, that would earn me the nickname of "thread killer" here.

[Elefantino]

Reading through this thread as an interested consumer/part-time shop worker, it seems as though I should stock up on socks.

[makoti]

Originally Posted by C40_guy

So much for the will of the people.

It was the will of the people who bothered to vote. If we can't force the rest to participate in Democracy, if we can't entice them to join in, then we get what we deserve.
I saw a reddit post that showed Texas and Oklahoma votes if those votes that didn't happen but could have counted as a candidate. That unknown candidate won both states easily.

[54ny77]

i'm thinking i have enough 10 speed chains in the hoarding bin to not give a hoot what happens for many years to come. and at that point, i'll probably be on an e-bike made by tesla in texas, so no tariff worries.

[jamesdak]

Originally Posted by C40_guy

So much for the will of the people.

Isn't that what just happened?

[redir]

Or the will of the poutine.

Love me some fries and gravy.

[72gmc]

Originally Posted by redir

Or the will of the poutine.

Love me some fries and gravy.

Having just visited a land where they put mayo on frites, I’m proud to say I am opening my mind to more adventures that involve fries.

[pdonk]

Welcome to Canada, where we pay duties and taxes on almost everything we buy.

[cnighbor1]

what a guy in a Red Tie will do
Charles

[72gmc]

Originally Posted by cnighbor1

what a guy in a Red Tie will do
Charles

Good point, well made.

[robertbb]

Originally Posted by Alistair

Lower consumer prices at the cost of accelerated globalization of many industries.

Super simplistic example:
US factory produces socks at a cost of $2/pair. Consumer price on the shelf is $2.50.

Chinese factory produces similar socks at a cost of $1/pair. Consumer price on the shelf is $1.50.

US factory workers demand a tariff of $1.25/pair to ensure they maintain their market share.

Chinese socks now priced at $2.75.

US company can now price their socks at $2.70, so they realize an extra $0.20 profit per pair.

US sock factory workers protected, but the rest of the nation is paying $1.20 more per pair than they would be in a free/open market.

And that's just a plain protectionist tariff. Many tariffs are retaliatory and cross industries (see the chicken tax I mentioned earlier). We all pay more for trucks today because some American farmer 50 years ago couldn't compete in the European chicken market.

My position: There are ~2 cases where tariffs are valid...
1. The foreign competitor is ignoring international law or norms (environmental, labor, whatever)
2. Industry that is deemed vital to maintaining the security of the nation (thought this one is prone to all sorts of slippery slopes - Jones Act for domestic shipping/ship building is a related example)

Tariffs should not be used for basic protectionism - if an industry can more cost effectively produce goods elsewhere, let them do so. Domestically, the "fix" is not to protect legacy industries but instead ensure a robust safety net and retraining (which we largely fail to do).

All well and good, but when China is an emerging and hostile superpower that is known for human rights abuses, land grabs, resource stealing and expansionism and has designs on the worlds' democratic tech-hub......... the equation changes somewhat, does it not?

[makoti]

Originally Posted by pdonk

Welcome to Canada, where we pay duties and taxes on almost everything we buy.

So everything in Canada is really cheap? Because that's what we're being told will be the final result of all this