Steel and aluminum tariffs announced

[Timsup2nothin]

Also can Trump actually impose these tariffs because this sounds like a congress thing?

If the Secretary of Commerce finds that an article is being imported into the United States in such quantities or under such circumstances as to threaten to impair the national security, then the President is authorized to take such other actions as the President deems necessary to adjust the imports of such article so that such imports will not threaten to impair the national security.

There ya go. The Secretary of Commerce is an imbecile who has been pushing for a trade war since the day he was appointed, so no doubt he has "found" such national security grounds. Congress could sue, claiming false pretenses for usurpation of authority and a court may well rule in their favor. Congress could also amend the Trade Expansion Act to take their authority back.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

Also can Trump actually impose these tariffs because this sounds like a congress thing?

NPR reported that he does not need congress to enact tariffs.

 

[Farm Boy]

I wonder what the recovery rate from recycled goods is. I expect you could boost it by quite a bit by employing low-wage people to separate it in a non-automated way.

If you have insights as to the mechanics of this, I would like to hear them, at boring length such as you are willing.

 

[FriendlyFire]

There ya go. The Secretary of Commerce is an imbecile who has been pushing for a trade war since the day he was appointed, so no doubt he has "found" such national security grounds. Congress could sue, claiming false pretenses for usurpation of authority and a court may well rule in their favor. Congress could also amend the Trade Expansion Act to take their authority back.

GOP Congress will just whine a bit
Iam guessing Trumps Hot model press Secretary Hope leaving and Javankas Death match with Kelly means no one is baby sitting Trump.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

Iam guessing Trumps Hot model press Secretary Hope leaving and Javankas Death match with Kelly means no one is baby sitting Trump.

Well, there's Twitter...

 

[Zkribbler]

Congress could sue, claiming false pretenses for usurpation of authority and a court may well rule in their favor. Congress could also amend the Trade Expansion Act to take their authority back.

A court would hold that this is a "political question" and would abstain.

Congress could say that in exceeding his authority, the President has committed a high crime and/or misdemeanor and impeach him ... but that won't happen.

Amending or repealing the Trade Expansion Act is the most likely remedy.

...OR manufacturers who use steel or aluminum could sue, claiming economic injuries caused by Trump exceeding his authority. Oooh, how about a weapons manufacturer?

 

[Verbose]

Also can Trump actually impose these tariffs because this sounds like a congress thing?

Outside the US this possibility has been discussed since Trump became president. And yes, by the looks of it, trade policies is something the US prez can decide and set pretty much all by himself, if done right. It certainly seems he can do this. This does look like an instance of Trump's foreign policy credo for why he doesn't need the State Department: "The only one who matters is me."

Which is why responses from outside are going to be along the lines of how quick and swift the retaliation might be, and it will be attempted to tailor it for Trump's personal consumption. It also helps that early on Trump was pretty hot on the idea on tariffs on trade with China. And then he thought better of it (or in other words, he is possible to intimidate).

The expectation is that Trump will invoke "national emergency", according to which he is mandated to do this on behalf of the US. It also has the advantage of being and actual argument if and when any of the countries/entities hit by tariffs (let's assume the EU for starters) tries to haul the US in front of the WTO for violation of previous agreements. Whether the WTO will accept the US line is another matter. But then Trump has already expressed his displeasure with the WTO, so the next item on the agenda of "national emergency" might become to remove the US from that body too...

 

[El_Machinae]

The one thing I cannot figure out is what he thinks trade deficits are. I mean, it's been the go-to for him for a long time. Obviously, I have no real respect for his intelligence, this is the guy who was confused about his Electoral College victory for months. But what the heck does he think trade deficits are?

 

[Timsup2nothin]

The one thing I cannot figure out is what he thinks trade deficits are. I mean, it's been the go-to for him for a long time. Obviously, I have no real respect for his intelligence, this is the guy who was confused about his Electoral College victory for months. But what the heck does he think trade deficits are?

A flow of dollars out of the country that can be redirected into his pockets.

 

[Cutlass]

Sure, but I don't expect homeless people have the inclination to disassemble a fridge, and they certainly don't have the means to recycle a phone. Recycled phones are typically just shredded to get to the high value parts.

Homeless people will dissemble a fridge, or an air conditioner. But they'll only take the copper to recycle, and abandon the rest. And in the process they vent the coolant, which is supposed to be recaptured.

 

[Zelig]

If you have insights as to the mechanics of this, I would like to hear them, at boring length such as you are willing.

Mostly just what I've picked up from my local recyclers - e.g. disposable coffee cups are recyclable, but their plastic lids are not (even though they're made of recyclable plastic) because machines can't reliably pick them out and it isn't economical for humans to do so. Similarly, any plastic/metal lids from food containers must be greater than 7.5cm in diameter to be recycled.

re: phones, Apple has built fancy robots to fully disassemble their phones: (Google their Liam robot, I can't seem to link YouTube videos without them embedding.)
Most non-iPhones just get literally shredded to get to the gold.

I'm not sure about the economics of recycling electronics in general - at my work, we recycle large amounts of electronics every so often, and we have to pay our recycler some nominal amount to come pick it all up.

 

[El_Machinae]

A flow of dollars out of the country that can be redirected into his pockets.

I really suspect that it's part of it. He got burned by China somehow, and now think the entire thing is rigged in some way that he cannot properly communicate.

 

[Arakhor]

Apparently, the US will win easy and win big in the coming trade trade with the EU.

Good luck with Brexit, eh?

 

[Broken_Erika]

Pretty soon he'll be calling for a total and permanent end to any form of imports. End Foreign Trade! America First!

 

[stinkubus]

It's possible Trump thought a steel tariff would somehow undermine the Steele dossier.

 

[Cutlass]

Mostly just what I've picked up from my local recyclers - e.g. disposable coffee cups are recyclable, but their plastic lids are not (even though they're made of recyclable plastic) because machines can't reliably pick them out and it isn't economical for humans to do so. Similarly, any plastic/metal lids from food containers must be greater than 7.5cm in diameter to be recycled.

re: phones, Apple has built fancy robots to fully disassemble their phones: (Google their Liam robot, I can't seem to link YouTube videos without them embedding.)
Most non-iPhones just get literally shredded to get to the gold.

I'm not sure about the economics of recycling electronics in general - at my work, we recycle large amounts of electronics every so often, and we have to pay our recycler some nominal amount to come pick it all up.

A lot of electronics are recycled the worst way. They get shipped to someplace really poor, where people burn off the plastics in open grills to get the metals. This is highly toxic to them, and to anyone nearby them.

 

[Perfection]

Shortly before Trump announced tariffs, his former adviser dumped millions in steel-related stocks

President Trump’s decision Thursday to impose crippling tariffs on the imports of steel and aluminum took many by surprise — particularly investors, as the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed the day’s tradingdown more than 400 points, or 1.7 percent, at 24,608.

But one billionaire investor and former Trump adviser, Carl Icahn, was seemingly unvexed, having dumped a million shares tied to the steel industry a week before the president announced 25 percent tariffs for foreign-made steel.

Full Article

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...-steel-related-stocks/?utm_term=.baa06b1cf72e

DRAIN THE SWAMP

 

[Zkribbler]

I really suspect that it's part of it. He got burned by China somehow, and now think the entire thing is rigged in some way that he cannot properly communicate.

The Steele dossier alleges at pg 8 that Trump paid huge bribes in order to do business in China.

 

[FriendlyFire]

Germany can just build panzers instead !
Seems Trump is gaslighting everyone except Putin

Trump vows to tax European cars if the EU fights back with tariff on U.S. goods

In the first rumblings of a potential trade war, President Trump punched back Saturday at Canadian and European warnings that his steel tariff plan is "unacceptable" by threatening to slap a tariff on European cars if they try to take him on.
The tweet underscored his observation on Friday that when the U.S.is losing "many billions" on trade with virtually every trading partner "trade wars are good and easy to win."

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news...ps-tariffs-absolutely-unacceptable/391805002/

 

[Zkribbler]

IMHO, EU tariffs on US cars are coming next.

Trump is correct: China is laughing their asses off because we're so stupid.