Steel and aluminum tariffs...

[Winehole23]

The Rolex and the $130,000 gold bar dispelled the national trade deficit emergency

When President Donald Trump ordered a whopping 39 percent tariff on all imports from Switzerland earlier this year, he did so, of course, by claiming there was a national emergency.


Officially, Trump's executive order pointed to "large and persistent annual U.S. goods trade deficits" that, the president claims, "cons ute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and economy of the United States." Because this was part of Trump's push for what he called "reciprocal" tariffs, the executive order also pointed toward "foreign trading partners' disparate tariff rates" that were supposedly to blame for the trade imbalance.
Right from the start, that didn't make a whole lot of sense.


For one, Switzerland had minuscule tariffs (an average rate of 0.2 percent) on American imports. As I pointed out at the time, if Trump were seeking "reciprocal" tariffs with the Swiss, he would have to lower America's tariffs rather than raise them.


For another: The very existence of a U.S. trade deficit with Switzerland (which totaled $38.3 billion last year) seemed to undermine the entire logic behind Trump's trade war. If having higher tariffs than your trading partner was the secret to ending trade deficits, as the Trump administration seems to believe, then why did America have a trade deficit with a country like Switzerland in the first place?


Still, possibly the most confusing part of this announcement was the premise that imported chocolate, pharmaceutical drugs, and fancy watches somehow cons ute an emergency requiring a huge (and possibly unlawful) expansion of executive power. If Americans want to buy things from people and businesses in Switzerland, that doesn't seem like it should be any of the president's business.


Good news: That emergency is now over!

https://reason.com/2025/11/17/the-em...the-emergency/

[Winehole23]

There are two possibilities here. You can believe that the vaguely defined economic emergency that required such huge tariffs on Swiss imports is already over, just a few months after those tariffs were imposed and despite the trade deficit seemingly growing rather than shrinking. If so, then you have to accept that Americans peacefully exchanging their money for chocolates, drugs, and watches were somehow undermining America's economic security for years—but that those exact same transactions are now totally fine, because of the higher tariffs that no longer exist.


The other possibility is that no such emergency ever actually existed, and that the president's idea of what cons utes an emergency depends largely on who is paying him homage and what gifts they might leave behind. If so, then you'd have to question the entire rationale behind all of Trump's so-called reciprocal tariffs, many of which make no more sense than the ones imposed on Swiss goods.


And you'd have to wonder whether Trump's trade war is really aimed at benefitting the country—or reducing the trade deficit, or promoting manufacturing jobs, or whatever rationale the White House is trotting out today. As it stands, the stakes appear to be significantly more personal.

[BadMotorscooter]

Wine Ho triggered over everything Trump......lmao.....as usual...do you want to debate the tariffs, Wine Ho?

[DMX7]

Ironically, it's wealthier people who are paying most of the tariffs and yet liberals hate them.

[BadMotorscooter]

Wine Ho triggered over everything Trump......lmao.....as usual...do you want to debate the tariffs, Wine Ho?

C'mon, Whine Ho.....lets just have a simple debate on the tariffs. I'll probably lose but why not?

[Winehole23]

C'mon, Whine Ho.....lets just have a simple debate on the tariffs. I'll probably lose but why not?

great, go ahead

[ChumpDumper]

Ironically, it's wealthier people who are paying most of the tariffs and yet liberals hate them.

This is a stupid point.

Are you still in favor of the tariffs?

[DMX7]

This is a stupid point.

Are you still in favor of the tariffs?

It’s a great point. I am in favor of the tariffs because they raise desperately needed tax revenue and benefit American producer compe iveness.

[ChumpDumper]

It’s a great point. I am in favor of the tariffs because they raise desperately needed tax revenue and benefit American producer compe iveness.

Which American producers have become more compe ive and how?

How is the revenue desperately needed when Trump just rescinds the tariffs and promises to pay $2k to everyone making under $100k.

Show your math.

[Winehole23]

I am in favor of the tariffs because they raise desperately needed tax revenue

so you're for higher taxes, but only so long as they are imposed (and removed) at the president's whim?

[Blake]

Which American producers have become more compe ive and how?

How is the revenue desperately needed when Trump just rescinds the tariffs and promises to pay $2k to everyone making under $100k.

Show your math.

By my calculations, he will produce zero results to back up his post.

[Winehole23]

C'mon, Whine Ho.....lets just have a simple debate on the tariffs. I'll probably lose but why not?

Ok, I'll start

The US cons ution gives the taxation power to Congress, including explicitly tariffs

Trump's trade deficit national emergency is a bull emergency he's leveraging to coerce the whole world at once with anti-compe ive duties

It's a dumb idea, and it's facially illegal; taxing belongs to Congress, and his pretext is bull

It also hasn't decreased the trade deficit, in part because punitive tariffs hurt imports too

[Winehole23]

(when you undertake to bully the whole world, don't be surprised when it thinks somewhat less of you)

[Winehole23]

the total abandonment of moral reciprocity and historical ties of allegiance stands out

how will Americans be treated abroad after Trump?

[Winehole23]

Ok, I'll start

The US cons ution gives the taxation power to Congress, including explicitly tariffs

Trump's trade deficit national emergency is a bull emergency he's leveraging to coerce the whole world at once with anti-compe ive duties

It's a dumb idea, and it's facially illegal; taxing belongs to Congress, and his pretext is bull

It also hasn't decreased the trade deficit, in part because punitive tariffs hurt imports too

Canada is buying no booze from Kentucky

[Winehole23]

[Winehole23]

[TSA]

winehole

[ChumpDumper]

Democratic New York bucking the national trend?

Wow.

Why is Trump rescinding his tariffs, TSA?

[Winehole23]

Ok, I'll start

The US cons ution gives the taxation power to Congress, including explicitly tariffs

Trump's trade deficit national emergency is a bull emergency he's leveraging to coerce the whole world at once with anti-compe ive duties

It's a dumb idea, and it's facially illegal; taxing belongs to Congress, and his pretext is bull

It also hasn't decreased the trade deficit, in part because punitive tariffs hurt imports too

Ok, Boomerfair

I'll help you out: tariffs have hurt imports but they have brought down the trade deficit too.

You're not even trying...

[sickdsm]

LOL

Prices higher than last year, COVID era inflation on crop inputs are going crazy. Profits have been phenomenal, everyone looking to expand acres. With people like you trying desperately to find what you want to believe, no wonder CNN fell hard for the splorn troll.

[Winehole23]

LOL

Prices higher than last year, COVID era inflation on crop inputs are going crazy. Profits have been phenomenal, everyone looking to expand acres. With people like you trying desperately to find what you want to believe, no wonder CNN fell hard for the splorn troll.

Prices of what?

[Winehole23]

LOL

Prices higher than last year, COVID era inflation on crop inputs are going crazy. Profits have been phenomenal, everyone looking to expand acres. With people like you trying desperately to find what you want to believe, no wonder CNN fell hard for the splorn troll.

what do you think of the president having the taxing power?

[Winehole23]

do you think taxes should be an executive kitty?

[Winehole23]