Originally Posted by Rob B.
The only thing one can blame Europe for is for producing products Americans like and apparently can't manufacture themselves. Things like cool cars or tasty chocolate. If Americans don't buy American cars why should Europeans?
.

Rob,

Be fair to me and yourself. Say things that "hold water." AI makes it much harder to distort these days.

The EU tariffs American cars at 10%
The EU adds a value added tax of 19-27%
Each EU country has a registration tax.

Theoretically American car mfgs can get those paid and get the cars in, but that pushes up retail.
REMEMBER YOUR CONCERN WITH TARIFFS (TAXES) MAKING CONSUMERS PAY MORE.

And even if an American car gets into the EU, then it has to meet mandatory EU emission standards and other qualifying devices.

QUESTION: Are Europeans truly getting an opportunity to shop for American vehicles?
ANSWER: No.

So, it needs a look.

Originally Posted by Rob B.
I'm just swifting through foreign media news. The world is laughing about the way Trump calculates his "fake" tariff rates. It looks like he lied to the American people again. This time to the whole world.

Was that Rachel Maddow's lead in last night?

I'm not laughing. A lot of people arent.
A lot of people in the UNITED STATES are looking at that EU trade deficit and not liking it.
And as these things wear on, I suspect the laughing will die down.
And the whole world will need to review how they "TAX" American goods and, in some cases, come to more equitable arrangements.
Watching with interest.

As for the calculation, I am not sure that the world understands the tariff formula. I think that the formula has been dumbed down so that it can propagandized.

The net-of-it...regardless of how it was calculated, if the calc arrives at a tariff that is lower than tariffs a country has against American goods...that's not really relevant. The fact the the tariffs placed on American goods are higher by the squealing country is all that is relevant.

Martin owes Rob $10
Martin pays Rob $5 and calls it even because Martin says that Rob calculated the debt in an unsatisfactory manner.
Martin leaves keeping Rob's $5
Martin tells Rob that is completely fair because Rob eats too many blueberry pies.

https://soundcloud.com/sunset-poet-of-texas