Trump administration imposes tariffs on imported solar cells and modules at 30% and certain washing machines up to 50%:
This new determination sets tariffs on imported solar cells and modules at 30 percent with a gradual decrease of that tariff over the subsequent four years. In years two, three, and four, the tariff will be imposed at 25 percent, 20 percent, and 15 percent, respectively, of the value of the import. The first 2.5 gigawatts of imported solar cells imported are exempt from the tariff (but it seems that a similar provision was not made for solar modules). Though the executive branch has broad authority to impose whatever tariff it wants after the ITC finds that an industry has been harmed by imports, this tariff decision closely matches the middle-ground recommendation made by two of the four-person ITC's commissioners. Those commissioners recommended a 30-percent tariff on modules and a 30-percent tariff on imported solar cells in excess of 1GW, with declining rates after the first year.
Whirlpool shares rise after Trump tariff on washing machine imports
The new tax is expected to hit Trump's desk on Tuesday. The administration is imposing 20% tariffs on the first 1.2 million machines imported each year, and 50% on those after that. There will also be a 50% tariff on washing machine parts.
Naturally South Korea and China are upset and plan to argue their case at the WTO. From the articles I read this morning there should be a boost to US manufacturing but the gains may all be offset by the losses with people not wanting to pay more for solar. I think regardless of price people will do solar for solar's sake, but there is sure to be some impact on sales and installation jobs.
Guess I should have bought that 30% off washing machine at the Sears going out of business sale.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 24 2018, @07:43PM (1 child)
Those aren't the taxes people meant by "taxes." Public discourse exists only within the reality of the moon matrix.
We're going to cut taxes, by which we mean a simulacrum for some idea $x which is non-real. We're going to bring back jobs, by which we mean a simulacrum for some idea $y which is non-real. That $x is really directly enriching the global elites and $y does nothing real to help the American working class is fine, because public discourse no longer exists in reality.
If the goal were to help the American working class, the money from these tariffs would be put into social programs. While I'm not sure if this is air I'm breathing, I'm certain that this money will go into the military-industrial complex as it gears up for World War 3 instead of into social programs that might de-escalate the real reasons why we are given simulacra and simulations for why World War 3 was fought.
I think that by non-real I may mean the same thing that some people mean when they say "feelz." Except that the idea of "feelz" is a simulation of the idea of non-reality. Kiri-kin-tha's First Law of Metaphysics may be helpful here.
(Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Wednesday January 24 2018, @09:33PM
This idea was expressed rather more succinctly during the reign of Chimpy McBushface as "reality-based community" versus "actor-based community."
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...