Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?
This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.
Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.
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Notes -
If you really did want to use tariffs, even punishing tariffs, to return domestic manufacturing of physical goods to within your borders, how would you go about it?
It seems to me that you would want to start at the top of the value chain and slowly work your way downwards. I.E., you start with XX% (or XXX%) tariffs on completed automobiles, then some time later, you apply some degree of tariff on whatever products are used in the step before completion, and so on down the chain until you reach the degree of autarkic internal production that you desire.
Is this correct, or headed in the direction of correctness, or what?
Relatedly, it’s possible that laying out a roadmap of your plans and clearly communicating it and sticking by it might even accelerate your plan, if business views it as credible and starts on-shoring faster. I am also open to the idea that publicizing your roadmap might allow a trading partner to pursue a strategy of increasing domestic subsidies until you give up, in that “They have the watches, we have the time” kind of way. Which direction would you go in that regard, or what alternative approach seems best to you?
Please consider a “Should we have a 1% or 2% war tax” kind of response, not culture war. Thank you.
"Manufacturing of physical goods" or "manufacturing jobs"? Counted how? If you believe the Real Value Added folks, the former hasn't left, and the latter is a significantly different type of problem that tariffs may just be orthogonal to.
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