impossiblefork 12 hours ago

The big problem is that it's 15% US tariffs and no reciprocal EU tariffs.

The problem created is this: EU firms get shut out of the US, but the US firms that compete with them are not shut out of the EU. Thus the US firms can operate at greater scale and outcompete the EU firms, leading to one-sided job losses having nothing to do with merit.

So I can have a great, well-run EU firm and do everything right, and then I can lose it all for no reason, due to this insane political decision.

If this is the protection the EU offers, then why should I invest my money here? Why should I even live here? Because from this I can only read it as that the commission believes that Americans should have more rights than I do and that I shouldn't be allowed to have a business.

  • wdb 11 hours ago

    And then you have the EU invest $600 billion in the United States instead of the European Union. I hope EU hasn't also accepted lowering food quality down to US standards...

    • up-n-atom 9 hours ago

      My take is that it’s all an illusion. The deal looks good on paper for the US. But EU/Japan/etc. big business will setup subsidiaries in tax haven states such as Texas or Florida and sell back to themselves. Similarly to how US firms used Ireland.

      • impossiblefork 9 hours ago

        That isn't really possible.

        If goods are brought into the US, with tolls paid, and then sold for much more than the assessed value, the goods will probably be seized.

        This agreement is certainly exactly as bad as it looks. No one has historically entered into an agreement like this. Not Sweden when it was a tiny country not part of the EU, no country whatsoever.

        When a country has been had its goods tariffed the response has always been to counter those tariffs with tariffs on goods with an equal value, so this agreement is completely exceptional.

mensetmanusman 14 hours ago

The $0.75T energy purchase is also huge.

Russia shot itself in the face creating a failed state at its border and destroying trade relations.

aborsy 16 hours ago

Basically, the plan was generally 10-15% baseline tariff across the board for all countries, and higher rates for sectors such as steel and aluminum.

  • breadwinner 15 hours ago

    This will lead to inflation. Once prices increase, the prices won't come down, so the inflation will be permanent.

    US manufacturers will get used to decreased competition, which will lead to poor quality and decreased innovation.

    Smuggling will increase, particularly from Canada. Instead of going to the Apple store to buy your next phone you will agree to meet a stranger in a dark alley and pay cash to buy a smuggled iPhone.

    The tariffs will be felt by poorer Americans while the rich will barely notice.

    • pzo 2 hours ago

      Probsbly better to once a year go to Latin America or Asia for holiday and do all shopping there and any clinic appointments

    • mensetmanusman 14 hours ago

      If the government taxes goods by an additional 1%, is that 1% inflation?

      • tnt128 12 hours ago

        No. Tax is on the cost. If the good sells for $100 and cost $10. Then 10% additional tax increase the cost to $11. If the vendor decides to keep the same profit, then the price goes up by $1, which is 1%

      • breadwinner 13 hours ago

        If the price goes up then yes.

  • lewisleclerc 16 hours ago

    I could be wrong but once tariffs are set to higher rates, it's extremely difficult to lower them by subsequent leaders