Bad propaganda argument. EV, semiconductor and Solar industries included many startups in the US at that time, but not in China. Those US industries, needed protection if nothing else for US security. Those tariffs were different because they had a purpose other than simple coersion.
Well, it is better than to grant federal funds to these "startups". As for the 100 percent tariff on electrical vehicles, what advantage did the U.S. public - as opposed to Tesla - get from that? None. As for the wafers, that seems to be a pipe dream. www.marketplace.org/2024/10/29/u...
“Prices have certainly increased as the tariffs have been put into place,” said Scott Wiater, CEO of Standard Solar, which builds and operates large solar energy farms for businesses and governments. “We’re paying much more, well over double what other regions are payijng with the tariff."
These costs go all the way down the chain. Far from helping solar get embedded in the system, this is knocking it out of the system. A classic case of a well intentioned tariff having unintended bad consequences.
If the U.S. wants to compete on solar, we don't need startups protected by tariffs. We need direct government funding as with TVA or the pentagon's development of DARPA. The half way measure - tariffs - are worse than nothing.
I agree that new technology which requires R&D beyond the capability of small companies is better accomplished with direct government funding, but private enterprise is fully capable of making many solar products that are not new tech. It doesn't have to be one or the other.
A friend has an embroidery company. Before last Nov. he struggled to compete with overseas companies. He voted for trump because of the tariffs. Because he sells product locally his business has definitely been helped by them. My concern is more global in how it raises prices on everything else.
I'm not sure I understand that story. The tariffs have not really been in place for more than two weeks on China, and it is on and off on Canada and Mexico. I have a feeling this is a placebo effect. Because elsewhere, businesses are not happy.
The conversation about the reason for his vote took place shortly after the election. His comments on how his orders have increased was more recent. Agreed, I'm no fan of Trump or Tariffs, but meant the story as anecdotal reasoning of one trump voter with a niche business.