Export tariffs would cause even fewer European goods in USA. Nah, let’s not do that.
Not necessarily. Canada has had some success with tariffing exports of electricity. The key part here is that the US can't stop buying electricity, so sales from Canadian electrical businesses don't go down, the US just pays more to Canada.
The point being, a tariff has to be clever. It has to minimise the damage at home and maximise the damage overseas. Trump's tariffs don't do this, because he's trying to damage America just as much as he's trying to damage everywhere else.
Other countries should not do what Trump's doing, as it will damage their own country.
We’re going to hit them where it hurts.
That's the thing, a retaliatory tariff probably won't hurt them. For one, it would only (mildly) affect certain US businesses. For another, people generally don't have an alternative source, so they end up just paying the tariff. Both US businesses and local people get hurt, the only benefit is that the government gets more money - but that's not really a benefit if the government isn't re-investing it. The US government doesn't really care about US businesses, so they're not going to capitulate. In the end no one wins except the two governments have more money to piss up the wall.
We're already looking at buying less from the US wherever possible. People want alternatives, and the US isn't a cheap source (like China is) so it's already easy for local businesses to undercut them on price - you don't need to add a tariff to tip the balance. Tariffs won't incentivise people, they're already incentivised, they need options.
If a tariff isn't paying for such an option then it isn't worthwile.
How am I trying to appease Trump? You call me a moron, and yet nothing you say makes sense.
At least we can agree that Trump is a cunt lol.
All I'm saying is that IF a country wants to apply a retaliatory tariff, they should do so in the interests of their own country. They should ring fence the revenue from the tariff and re-invest that in local businesses to replace the foreign imports.
However I don't think that's necessary. America isn't a cheap manufacturing source, it's expensive high tech. Tariffs are meant to balance prices - like tariffs on cheap Chinese EVs, such that other EVs can be competitive on price. American stuff is already more expensive, so a tariff doesn't change the equation.
People don't need tariffs to incentivise themselves not to buy American. They need alternative options to American goods and services. Tariffs won't do that, at least not without proper planning and re-investment.