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from the musk-sells-solar-cells-by-the-solar-shore dept.
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: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 24 2018, @10:46PM (1 child)
Manufacturing can come back, but manufacturing jobs, a la 60s-70s, CANNOT.
Any new/returning manufacturing will be heavily automated, employing far fewer people. It will likely spur domestic robotics industries, but they will have to compete with the industrial robotics industries of Germany, Japan, and S. Korea.
We need to rebuild our manufacturing base, but that's no solution for our employment problem.
(Score: 2, Funny) by realDonaldTrump on Thursday January 25 2018, @09:06AM
Let me tell you, our factories are HOT right now. 🔥 Turning out a TREMENDOUS amount of stuff! More than when Obama was in office. But the jobs with HIGH PAY for NO SKILL, a lot of those are gone. Because we live in the age of Computer. The age of Robots. If we tell our companies, "don't use Computer, don't use Robots, use Workers" it's like we're telling them not to make as much money. Unless we tell our Workers, "your wages are too high, take a cut to your wages." We're not doing that yet. Not in my first term. We're bringing back the tariffs, like when America was great. So the American people will buy American stuff. We did it with the softwood lumber and it was beautiful, it was perfect. Now the washing machines and the solar.
Believe me, solar has been killing our economy. Because it's very bad for our electric. The Sun comes up, the solar starts working. The Sun goes down, the solar stops working. You can't count on it. The coal, the nuclear, you can count on. They're always going. 3 in the morning, you have your coal. You have your nuclear. Or you have no lights. They're very reliable. But we've been losing our coal & nuclear, right & left. So many shutting down, it's very bad for our electric. I want a SUBSIDY for our coal & nuclear. Secretary Rick went to my FERC, he went to the five. And he asked for the subsidy. For any place that can store 3 months of fuel. Which they can do with coal. They can do with nuclear. And which a lot of people are saying we might need. If there's a hurricane, remember Hurricane Maria? Secretary Rick asked very nicely, but they told him "no"! Four of these guys, I hired. And one said he loved the subsidy. But they shut it down, they all voted "no." Ignoring the will of the American people, it's very sad. So we don't have the subsidy we need so badly. But we can do a TARIFF. I don't have to ask anybody about that, there's no vote for that one. Very easy, even Obama could do a tariff on the solar.
Republicans have always been the party of American industry and the American worker. We must embrace that heritage, rebuilding this country with American goods and American labor. Not Robots. Not solar. And not washing machines from Korea. They put a very unfair SUBSIDY on their washing machines, our guys couldn't compete. Korea, for too long, has been absolutely killing our economy. But I'm working very hard on it. I work every single day to make America great again.