Washington Post: Tariffs could cost U.S. families up to $1,000 a year

[PDXTabs]

I'm curious how this will play out: Trump’s trade war comes for consumers: Tariffs could cost U.S. families up to $1,000 a year, JPMorgan forecasts.

[Laserjet3051]

My only request is that this burden is factored in whenever people discuss how much the Trump tax cuts saved them (or didn't).

sure thing. Fortunately the lionshare of our annual spending goes all to housing, health care, & food, the latter of which comes almost exclusively from the USA/CA. China tarriffs will not impact our housing and halethcare costs. We also buy energy, but I dont think we get any of it from China. Our family avoids purchasing "stuff" in general, and in the rare times we do buy "stuff" we mostly avoid those items made in China/SE Asia.

How much more molded plastic shit from R.O.C do folks need? Average american household? We are most certainly not; though we did save a bundle with the tax cuts last year and have no intention of giving back any of it due to tarriffs. Being a minimalist who prioritizes "made in America" purchases, our family will do just fine in a sustained Chinese tarriff environment. However, YMMV.

[WhiteTrashCash]

My biggest concern about the tariffs is that it's going to make it harder to get cheap household products at the dollar store. Other than that, I couldn't give a shit about it. In fact, we've made thousands more in investment income since this whole mess started.

[ketchup]

How much more molded plastic shit from R.O.C do folks need?

I assume you mean PRC.

[roomtempmayo]

How much more molded plastic shit from R.O.C do folks need?

I assume you mean PRC.

I'd generally consider a move away from buying cheap crap from China a net gain (yes, Apple products can double or triple in price as far as I care), but it does impact me when soybean farmers go broke and can no longer pay for the services my industry provides them.

[PDXTabs]

How much more molded plastic shit from R.O.C do folks need?

I mostly agree with this sentiment, except that China is the king of printed circuit boards at this point. Anything soldered onto a PCB has very good odds of either being produced in China (ever been to Shenzhen?) or having been soldered onto the board in China. Of course if it is an electronic device it only makes sense to finish final assembly while you are at it.

It has already hit profits and revenue at my day job and it is only going to get worse, just as Ford has already decided not to sell the new Ford Focus in the USA because of the tariffs.

[WhiteTrashCash]

Even if there is a recession, it's not the end of the world. We're due for a recession anyway. It's not sustainable to have this level of growth. Things have to reset a bit and everyone will have to adjust temporarily and then they will head back up again. It's extremely unlikely that we'll have anything like the Great Recession and even if we did that was a fantastic opportunity for investors.

The people who have to care about this are the day-to-day traders on Wall Street and the one percenters who make massive profits off exploiting cheap Chinese labor and goods that don't have to go through environmental review such as the Walton Family.

[PDXTabs]

The people who have to care about this are the day-to-day traders on Wall Street and the one percenters who make massive profits off exploiting cheap Chinese labor and goods that don't have to go through environmental review such as the Walton Family.

I would agree with you entirely, but no one in the administration is saying that this is what they care about. They are only talking about the trade deficit, and occasionally IP theft (which also needs to get fixed).

[WhiteTrashCash]

The people who have to care about this are the day-to-day traders on Wall Street and the one percenters who make massive profits off exploiting cheap Chinese labor and goods that don't have to go through environmental review such as the Walton Family.

I would agree with you entirely, but no one in the administration is saying that this is what they care about. They are only talking about the trade deficit, and occasionally IP theft (which also needs to get fixed).

Well, these may not be stated reasons for the trade war -- and may actually have nothing to do with intentions -- but they are something that would tangentially end up being influenced by this entire situation. It would suit my own personal aims to see those factors impacted by this, so I'm going to sit back and watch how this plays out.

[Davnasty]

My only request is that this burden is factored in whenever people discuss how much the Trump tax cuts saved them (or didn't).

sure thing. Fortunately the lionshare of our annual spending goes all to housing, health care, & food, the latter of which comes almost exclusively from the USA/CA. China tarriffs will not impact our housing and halethcare costs. We also buy energy, but I dont think we get any of it from China. Our family avoids purchasing "stuff" in general, and in the rare times we do buy "stuff" we mostly avoid those items made in China/SE Asia.

How much more molded plastic shit from R.O.C do folks need? Average american household? We are most certainly not; though we did save a bundle with the tax cuts last year and have no intention of giving back any of it due to tarriffs. Being a minimalist who prioritizes "made in America" purchases, our family will do just fine in a sustained Chinese tarriff environment. However, YMMV.

I have some similar feelings in that I don't buy much and so increased prices for consumer goods don't mean that much to me, but I also think you've drastically oversimplified the situation.

• We buy a whole lot more than molded plastic shit from China
• The tariffs are aimed at countries other than China
• Raw material tariffs will affect made in America products
• The price of some products like steel effect the cost of shipping, construction, manufacturing which in turn effects the cost of everything regardless of where it's made
• Us exporters will be affected by retaliatory tariffs from other countries
• Enacting tariffs, particularly when it's on short notice and seemingly arbitrary, is disruptive to the supply chain and creates massive inefficiency. Based on the steel tariffs alone I spent many hours discussing and negotiating price changes with our suppliers. Even for our small company it resulted in 100's of hours of work, and steel is a pretty insignificant part of our business.

Here's a list of tariffs that have been enacted so far.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trump_tariffs#Enacted_tariffs

[Laserjet3051]

My only request is that this burden is factored in whenever people discuss how much the Trump tax cuts saved them (or didn't).

sure thing. Fortunately the lionshare of our annual spending goes all to housing, health care, & food, the latter of which comes almost exclusively from the USA/CA. China tarriffs will not impact our housing and halethcare costs. We also buy energy, but I dont think we get any of it from China. Our family avoids purchasing "stuff" in general, and in the rare times we do buy "stuff" we mostly avoid those items made in China/SE Asia.

How much more molded plastic shit from R.O.C do folks need? Average american household? We are most certainly not; though we did save a bundle with the tax cuts last year and have no intention of giving back any of it due to tarriffs. Being a minimalist who prioritizes "made in America" purchases, our family will do just fine in a sustained Chinese tarriff environment. However, YMMV.

I have some similar feelings in that I don't buy much and so increased prices for consumer goods don't mean that much to me, but I also think you've drastically oversimplified the situation.

• We buy a whole lot more than molded plastic shit from China
• The tariffs are aimed at countries other than China
• Raw material tariffs will affect made in America products
• The price of some products like steel effect the cost of shipping, construction, manufacturing which in turn effects the cost of everything regardless of where it's made
• Us exporters will be affected by retaliatory tariffs from other countries
• Enacting tariffs, particularly when it's on short notice and seemingly arbitrary, is disruptive to the supply chain and creates massive inefficiency. Based on the steel tariffs alone I spent many hours discussing and negotiating price changes with our suppliers. Even for our small company it resulted in 100's of hours of work, and steel is a pretty insignificant part of our business.

Here's a list of tariffs that have been enacted so far.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trump_tariffs#Enacted_tariffs

I concur, I did oversimplify. There will be exceptions to my statement with regards to being personally impacted by the tarrifs, despite my purchasing patterns. That said, I still assert I will be largely unaffected as I just dont buy much stuff at all, even from America with the exception of food. Sure, my neighbor could lose his job due to tarrifs and stop mowing his lawn thus decreasing property values on my block, potentially affecting me. I cannot rule out indirect effects, but my general assertion still largely stands.

[WhiteTrashCash]

My only request is that this burden is factored in whenever people discuss how much the Trump tax cuts saved them (or didn't).

sure thing. Fortunately the lionshare of our annual spending goes all to housing, health care, & food, the latter of which comes almost exclusively from the USA/CA. China tarriffs will not impact our housing and halethcare costs. We also buy energy, but I dont think we get any of it from China. Our family avoids purchasing "stuff" in general, and in the rare times we do buy "stuff" we mostly avoid those items made in China/SE Asia.

How much more molded plastic shit from R.O.C do folks need? Average american household? We are most certainly not; though we did save a bundle with the tax cuts last year and have no intention of giving back any of it due to tarriffs. Being a minimalist who prioritizes "made in America" purchases, our family will do just fine in a sustained Chinese tarriff environment. However, YMMV.

I have some similar feelings in that I don't buy much and so increased prices for consumer goods don't mean that much to me, but I also think you've drastically oversimplified the situation.

• We buy a whole lot more than molded plastic shit from China
• The tariffs are aimed at countries other than China
• Raw material tariffs will affect made in America products
• The price of some products like steel effect the cost of shipping, construction, manufacturing which in turn effects the cost of everything regardless of where it's made
• Us exporters will be affected by retaliatory tariffs from other countries
• Enacting tariffs, particularly when it's on short notice and seemingly arbitrary, is disruptive to the supply chain and creates massive inefficiency. Based on the steel tariffs alone I spent many hours discussing and negotiating price changes with our suppliers. Even for our small company it resulted in 100's of hours of work, and steel is a pretty insignificant part of our business.

Here's a list of tariffs that have been enacted so far.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trump_tariffs#Enacted_tariffs

I concur, I did oversimplify. There will be exceptions to my statement with regards to being personally impacted by the tarrifs, despite my purchasing patterns. That said, I still assert I will be largely unaffected as I just dont buy much stuff at all, even from America with the exception of food. Sure, my neighbor could lose his job due to tarrifs and stop mowing his lawn thus decreasing property values on my block, potentially affecting me. I cannot rule out indirect effects, but my general assertion still largely stands.

Yeah, if you are a part of "maker culture" -- particularly the fabrication aspect of it -- then these tariffs don't really have all that much of an impact. I've been increasingly producing my own food and fixing/repairing items instead of replacing them. Plenty of raw materials are available in the United States and they are affordable enough, especially if you buy in bulk. I could see obtaining some electronic parts eventually being an issue, but I use mostly old tech, so parts are plentiful and have already been produced and imported, so that won't impact me for years at the earliest. At which time, China will have already capitulated.

That's the thing about the United States. We're the biggest customers on the planet and we have far more financial clout than any other nation. If we want to go toe-to-toe with another country in the trade war, they are going to lose. And lose badly. That's just the fact of the matter.

And China does need to be dealt with. At the moment, Americans are essentially bankrolling China's aggressive military and economic expansion. What do you think is paying for the very troubling "Belt and Road Initiative"? IPhones, that's what.

[Bloop Bloop]

I would prefer a globalised economy with free movement of labour and goods. The concepts of patriotism, parochialism and tariffs are all alien to me. I'm not American or Chinese, and I'm completely indifferent to the power struggles between the two.

[PDXTabs]

I would prefer a globalised economy with free movement of labour and goods.

Me too, absolutely. Everyone forgets the labour, especially in the USA.

As far as tariffs on Australian aluminum, there's still time.

[A Fella from Stella]

I mostly just spend money on food, living and transportation. Don't buy a lot of furniture, clothes, knickknacks, etc.

I'd ask what the heck are people buying, but when the local Sears was clearing everything out, I got winter coat for $50. Behind me, a lady with 2 carts full of stuff was saying that she just couldn't not buy; everything is so cheap, but also said that she's not going to make the same mistakes again; that this is her last chance with credit.

[OtherJen]

I mostly just spend money on food, living and transportation. Don't buy a lot of furniture, clothes, knickknacks, etc.

I'd ask what the heck are people buying, but when the local Sears was clearing everything out, I got winter coat for $50. Behind me, a lady with 2 carts full of stuff was saying that she just couldn't not buy; everything is so cheap, but also said that she's not going to make the same mistakes again; that this is her last chance with credit.

We bought a new roof for our house earlier this year. It was $3000 more than planned based on 2018 estimates (a huge increase for our small house) because of the increase in the cost of materials since last year.

I'm self-employed, and at some point in the next year I will probably need to replace my aging business computer. I'm tempted to do it now, even though my device is still running (albeit more slowly and with a tendency to run hot), because I have no idea how much those prices will increase once the next round of tariffs kicks in.

So no, we're not all buying frivolous knickknacks. That $3000 attributable to tariffs would have been half of my annual IRA investment.

[bacchi]

We all use washing machines, right?

There's been a tariff on clothes washers since early 2018. You may not need a new one today but you will eventually; maybe a more sane trade policy will be in effect by replacement time.

https://www.econlib.org/effects-of-the-2018-tariffs-on-washing-machines/

[OtherJen]

We all use washing machines, right?

There's been a tariff on clothes washers since early 2018. You may not need a new one today but you will eventually; maybe a more sane trade policy will be in effect by replacement time.

https://www.econlib.org/effects-of-the-2018-tariffs-on-washing-machines/

Ugh. Yeah, that's going to be on our list soon. Our current washer and dryer are 15 years old and have already gone through a couple rounds of repair each.

[WhiteTrashCash]

We all use washing machines, right?

There's been a tariff on clothes washers since early 2018. You may not need a new one today but you will eventually; maybe a more sane trade policy will be in effect by replacement time.

https://www.econlib.org/effects-of-the-2018-tariffs-on-washing-machines/

My washing machine was built in Ohio. Maybe you should buy one from there too.

[OtherJen]

We all use washing machines, right?

There's been a tariff on clothes washers since early 2018. You may not need a new one today but you will eventually; maybe a more sane trade policy will be in effect by replacement time.

https://www.econlib.org/effects-of-the-2018-tariffs-on-washing-machines/

My washing machine was built in Ohio. Maybe you should buy one from there too.

I'd love to buy a Staber. Right now, the list price of $1699 for a washer is more than my planned budget for a washer and dryer combined. Did you find that there's a solid used market for these machines?

[WhiteTrashCash]

We all use washing machines, right?

There's been a tariff on clothes washers since early 2018. You may not need a new one today but you will eventually; maybe a more sane trade policy will be in effect by replacement time.

https://www.econlib.org/effects-of-the-2018-tariffs-on-washing-machines/

My washing machine was built in Ohio. Maybe you should buy one from there too.

I'd love to buy a Staber. Right now, the list price of $1699 for a washer is more than my planned budget for a washer and dryer combined. Did you find that there's a solid used market for these machines?

We bought a Whirlpool washer and dryer. Both made right here in the USA by unionized workers (so they are paid good wages for their work), reasonably priced, and very good quality machines. Highly recommend them.

[OtherJen]

We all use washing machines, right?

There's been a tariff on clothes washers since early 2018. You may not need a new one today but you will eventually; maybe a more sane trade policy will be in effect by replacement time.

https://www.econlib.org/effects-of-the-2018-tariffs-on-washing-machines/

My washing machine was built in Ohio. Maybe you should buy one from there too.

I'd love to buy a Staber. Right now, the list price of $1699 for a washer is more than my planned budget for a washer and dryer combined. Did you find that there's a solid used market for these machines?

We bought a Whirlpool washer and dryer. Both made right here in the USA by unionized workers (so they are paid good wages for their work), reasonably priced, and very good quality machines. Highly recommend them.

Our 15-year-old washer and dryer were made by Whirlpool. However, if this article is accurate, I'm not inclined to reward them with my business next time: https://www.heritage.org/trade/commentary/whirlpool-advocated-tariffs-washers-now-its-going-through-the-wringers. Looks like they may have shot themselves in the foot.

Our 15-year-old Samsung fridge is still running well with no problems. Maybe I'll take a look at their washer/dryer sets.

[WhiteTrashCash]

We all use washing machines, right?

There's been a tariff on clothes washers since early 2018. You may not need a new one today but you will eventually; maybe a more sane trade policy will be in effect by replacement time.

https://www.econlib.org/effects-of-the-2018-tariffs-on-washing-machines/

My washing machine was built in Ohio. Maybe you should buy one from there too.

I'd love to buy a Staber. Right now, the list price of $1699 for a washer is more than my planned budget for a washer and dryer combined. Did you find that there's a solid used market for these machines?

We bought a Whirlpool washer and dryer. Both made right here in the USA by unionized workers (so they are paid good wages for their work), reasonably priced, and very good quality machines. Highly recommend them.

Our 15-year-old washer and dryer were made by Whirlpool. However, if this article is accurate, I'm not inclined to reward them with my business next time: https://www.heritage.org/trade/commentary/whirlpool-advocated-tariffs-washers-now-its-going-through-the-wringers. Looks like they may have shot themselves in the foot.

Our 15-year-old Samsung fridge is still running well with no problems. Maybe I'll take a look at their washer/dryer sets.

It's your choice, of course, but I prefer my money to be paid toward American workers' wages. It's just a personal preference whenever possible.

[MasterStache]

We all use washing machines, right?

There's been a tariff on clothes washers since early 2018. You may not need a new one today but you will eventually; maybe a more sane trade policy will be in effect by replacement time.

https://www.econlib.org/effects-of-the-2018-tariffs-on-washing-machines/

My washing machine was built in Ohio. Maybe you should buy one from there too.

I'd love to buy a Staber. Right now, the list price of $1699 for a washer is more than my planned budget for a washer and dryer combined. Did you find that there's a solid used market for these machines?

We bought a Whirlpool washer and dryer. Both made right here in the USA by unionized workers (so they are paid good wages for their work), reasonably priced, and very good quality machines. Highly recommend them.

Our 15-year-old washer and dryer were made by Whirlpool. However, if this article is accurate, I'm not inclined to reward them with my business next time: https://www.heritage.org/trade/commentary/whirlpool-advocated-tariffs-washers-now-its-going-through-the-wringers. Looks like they may have shot themselves in the foot.

Our 15-year-old Samsung fridge is still running well with no problems. Maybe I'll take a look at their washer/dryer sets.

It's your choice, of course, but I prefer my money to be paid toward American workers' wages. It's just a personal preference whenever possible.

To be fair, most washer brands are assembled in the states. Since this article is about tariffs, they have indeed caused even US assembled washers to increase in price quite a bit. Whirlpool in particular witnessed a roughly 12.5% increase in price thanks to passing the affects of tariffs (in particular steel) onto consumers. And they project an estimated $300 million additional in cost increases. Sales dropped roughly 2.5% and their stock took a hit.

It's good that you bought "American made." We'll likely hit up the used market as well if prices continue to increase. Consequences of an unnecessary and costly trade war.

[talltexan]

Note: if you're buying American-made products, the tariffs on imports allow American vendors to charge more than they otherwise might. The tariffs are still taking money out of your pocket.

[WhiteTrashCash]

We all use washing machines, right?

There's been a tariff on clothes washers since early 2018. You may not need a new one today but you will eventually; maybe a more sane trade policy will be in effect by replacement time.

https://www.econlib.org/effects-of-the-2018-tariffs-on-washing-machines/

My washing machine was built in Ohio. Maybe you should buy one from there too.

I'd love to buy a Staber. Right now, the list price of $1699 for a washer is more than my planned budget for a washer and dryer combined. Did you find that there's a solid used market for these machines?

We bought a Whirlpool washer and dryer. Both made right here in the USA by unionized workers (so they are paid good wages for their work), reasonably priced, and very good quality machines. Highly recommend them.

Our 15-year-old washer and dryer were made by Whirlpool. However, if this article is accurate, I'm not inclined to reward them with my business next time: https://www.heritage.org/trade/commentary/whirlpool-advocated-tariffs-washers-now-its-going-through-the-wringers. Looks like they may have shot themselves in the foot.

Our 15-year-old Samsung fridge is still running well with no problems. Maybe I'll take a look at their washer/dryer sets.

It's your choice, of course, but I prefer my money to be paid toward American workers' wages. It's just a personal preference whenever possible.

To be fair, most washer brands are assembled in the states. Since this article is about tariffs, they have indeed caused even US assembled washers to increase in price quite a bit. Whirlpool in particular witnessed a roughly 12.5% increase in price thanks to passing the affects of tariffs (in particular steel) onto consumers. And they project an estimated $300 million additional in cost increases. Sales dropped roughly 2.5% and their stock took a hit.

It's good that you bought "American made." We'll likely hit up the used market as well if prices continue to increase. Consequences of an unnecessary and costly trade war.

I'm okay paying a little more if it means the steel and aluminum is sourced in the United States. That's good for Americans. We need to stop depending on other countries to do things for us. That's how NASA ended up in the mess they are in regarding the Russians and rocket engines.

[bacchi]

I'm okay paying a little more if it means the steel and aluminum is sourced in the United States. That's good for Americans. We need to stop depending on other countries to do things for us. That's how NASA ended up in the mess they are in regarding the Russians and rocket engines.

It's not that simple. Unless the costs can be passed on to the consumer, then the producer hurts too. Take Mid-Atlantic Nail.

The tariffs caused sales to drop, and American jobs were lost, because steel was too expensive.

https://www.stltoday.com/business/columns/david-nicklaus/missouri-nail-maker-wins-tariff-exemption-and-begins-planning-a/article_6ef61b35-014f-5c57-bb52-50f7f3e4542a.html

When the steel tariffs made Mid-Continent’s Magnum brand of nails more expensive, many construction distributors and pallet manufacturers turned to cheaper, imported nails.

“We lost a huge volume of orders that were already on the books,” Pratt said. “Customers that had always been loyal to the U.S. industry now looked elsewhere.”

I guess we can put a tariff on foreign nails to equalize that market? Which will make construction even more costly, which will affect housing prices and office leases, which will cause more homelessness for the working class and fewer business that can afford an inexpensive office to work on their product.

Tariffs have ripple effects.

[Davnasty]

I'm okay paying a little more if it means the steel and aluminum is sourced in the United States. That's good for Americans. We need to stop depending on other countries to do things for us. That's how NASA ended up in the mess they are in regarding the Russians and rocket engines.

It's not that simple. Unless the costs can be passed on to the consumer, then the producer hurts too. Take Mid-Atlantic Nail.

The tariffs caused sales to drop, and American jobs were lost, because steel was too expensive.

https://www.stltoday.com/business/columns/david-nicklaus/missouri-nail-maker-wins-tariff-exemption-and-begins-planning-a/article_6ef61b35-014f-5c57-bb52-50f7f3e4542a.html

When the steel tariffs made Mid-Continent’s Magnum brand of nails more expensive, many construction distributors and pallet manufacturers turned to cheaper, imported nails.

“We lost a huge volume of orders that were already on the books,” Pratt said. “Customers that had always been loyal to the U.S. industry now looked elsewhere.”

I guess we can put a tariff on foreign nails to equalize that market? Which will make construction even more costly, which will affect housing prices and office leases, which will cause more homelessness for the working class and fewer business that can afford an inexpensive office to work on their product.

Tariffs have ripple effects.

And this is just one small piece of the complexity behind tariffs. I'm not fundamentally against tariffs but there were obvious holes in Trump's strategy from the very beginning. How does placing tariffs on raw materials help American manufacturers of goods that require those raw materials? If steel is taxed and products made with steel are not, wouldn't moving the manufacturing to the raw material source be the obvious solution?

Whether it's intentional or not he's really just picking winners and losers. And in many cases the "winners" don't even end up winning in the long run. Their artificially supported industry reverts to its real world status eventually, often abruptly, which is the worst case scenario for its employees.

[bacchi]

If steel is taxed and products made with steel are not, wouldn't moving the manufacturing to the raw material source be the obvious solution?

Whether it's intentional or not he's really just picking winners and losers. And in many cases the "winners" don't even end up winning in the long run.

That's exactly what LG and Samsung did. To avoid increasing prices, they closed down a factory and built a new one somewhere else.

Is the solution then to put a tariff on that country, a la whack-a-mole?

This applies to cars, too, and steel for any building over 5 stories. And tractors and backhoes and....

[OtherJen]

We all use washing machines, right?

There's been a tariff on clothes washers since early 2018. You may not need a new one today but you will eventually; maybe a more sane trade policy will be in effect by replacement time.

https://www.econlib.org/effects-of-the-2018-tariffs-on-washing-machines/

My washing machine was built in Ohio. Maybe you should buy one from there too.

I'd love to buy a Staber. Right now, the list price of $1699 for a washer is more than my planned budget for a washer and dryer combined. Did you find that there's a solid used market for these machines?

We bought a Whirlpool washer and dryer. Both made right here in the USA by unionized workers (so they are paid good wages for their work), reasonably priced, and very good quality machines. Highly recommend them.

Our 15-year-old washer and dryer were made by Whirlpool. However, if this article is accurate, I'm not inclined to reward them with my business next time: https://www.heritage.org/trade/commentary/whirlpool-advocated-tariffs-washers-now-its-going-through-the-wringers. Looks like they may have shot themselves in the foot.

Our 15-year-old Samsung fridge is still running well with no problems. Maybe I'll take a look at their washer/dryer sets.

It's your choice, of course, but I prefer my money to be paid toward American workers' wages. It's just a personal preference whenever possible.

To be fair, most washer brands are assembled in the states. Since this article is about tariffs, they have indeed caused even US assembled washers to increase in price quite a bit. Whirlpool in particular witnessed a roughly 12.5% increase in price thanks to passing the affects of tariffs (in particular steel) onto consumers. And they project an estimated $300 million additional in cost increases. Sales dropped roughly 2.5% and their stock took a hit.

It's good that you bought "American made." We'll likely hit up the used market as well if prices continue to increase. Consequences of an unnecessary and costly trade war.

I'm okay paying a little more if it means the steel and aluminum is sourced in the United States. That's good for Americans. We need to stop depending on other countries to do things for us. That's how NASA ended up in the mess they are in regarding the Russians and rocket engines.

And yet, it seems like Whirlpool was complaining about the tariffs causing their import materials costs to increase. And then there’s this (since this was published, the layoffs in Indiana have been confirmed): https://www.metrotimes.com/news-hits/archives/2019/08/20/us-steel-to-lay-off-hundreds-of-workers-in-michigan-citing-market-conditions

In other words, the tariffs appear to be hurting, not helping, the domestic market.

[MasterStache]

We all use washing machines, right?

There's been a tariff on clothes washers since early 2018. You may not need a new one today but you will eventually; maybe a more sane trade policy will be in effect by replacement time.

https://www.econlib.org/effects-of-the-2018-tariffs-on-washing-machines/

My washing machine was built in Ohio. Maybe you should buy one from there too.

I'd love to buy a Staber. Right now, the list price of $1699 for a washer is more than my planned budget for a washer and dryer combined. Did you find that there's a solid used market for these machines?

We bought a Whirlpool washer and dryer. Both made right here in the USA by unionized workers (so they are paid good wages for their work), reasonably priced, and very good quality machines. Highly recommend them.

Our 15-year-old washer and dryer were made by Whirlpool. However, if this article is accurate, I'm not inclined to reward them with my business next time: https://www.heritage.org/trade/commentary/whirlpool-advocated-tariffs-washers-now-its-going-through-the-wringers. Looks like they may have shot themselves in the foot.

Our 15-year-old Samsung fridge is still running well with no problems. Maybe I'll take a look at their washer/dryer sets.

It's your choice, of course, but I prefer my money to be paid toward American workers' wages. It's just a personal preference whenever possible.

To be fair, most washer brands are assembled in the states. Since this article is about tariffs, they have indeed caused even US assembled washers to increase in price quite a bit. Whirlpool in particular witnessed a roughly 12.5% increase in price thanks to passing the affects of tariffs (in particular steel) onto consumers. And they project an estimated $300 million additional in cost increases. Sales dropped roughly 2.5% and their stock took a hit.

It's good that you bought "American made." We'll likely hit up the used market as well if prices continue to increase. Consequences of an unnecessary and costly trade war.

I'm okay paying a little more if it means the steel and aluminum is sourced in the United States. That's good for Americans. We need to stop depending on other countries to do things for us. That's how NASA ended up in the mess they are in regarding the Russians and rocket engines.

Yeah well basic economics means when prices go up, sales go down (people tend to buy less). The only outcome for Whirlpool was higher prices, declining sales and lowered stock prices. They didn't shift suppliers considering global steel prices increased substantially. In fact their CEO complained in detail about US steel prices. Not sure how that's "good for Americans" but ok.

[PDXTabs]

Yeah well basic economics means when prices go up, sales go down (people tend to buy less). The only outcome for Whirlpool was higher prices, declining sales and lowered stock prices. They didn't shift suppliers considering global steel prices increased substantially. In fact their CEO complained in detail about US steel prices. Not sure how that's "good for Americans" but ok.

To put it another way: how high do we want to be in the value chain? Is there more money in making steel, or making complex items out of steel? The washing machine tariff might make sense if you want to encourage high value manufacturing jobs to stay on-shore. But tariffing everything that goes into the washing machine is shooting yourself in the foot.