Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

posted by janrinok on Saturday June 23 2018, @06:58AM   Printer-friendly
from the self-inflicted dept.

Hardware hacker Bunnie Huang has written concrete details in his blog about how the new US tariffs are anti-maker and will promote offshoring. However, it is not quite too late ... yet. With the right pushback it might be possible to salvage the situation.

The new 25% tariffs announced by the USTR, set to go into effect on July 6th, are decidedly anti-Maker and ironically pro-offshoring. I've examined the tariff lists (List 1 and List 2), and it taxes the import of basic components, tools and sub-assemblies, while giving fully assembled goods a free pass. The USTR's press release is careful to mention that the tariffs "do not include goods commonly purchased by American consumers such as cellular telephones or televisions."

[...] There is a sliver of good news in all of this for American Makers. The list of commodities targeted in the trade war is not yet complete. The "List 2" items – which include all manner of microchips, motors, and plastics (such as 3D printer PLA filament and acrylic sheets for laser cutting) that are building blocks for small businesses and Makers – have yet to be ratified. The USTR website has indicated in the coming weeks they will disclose a process for public review and comment.


Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 23 2018, @11:04AM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 23 2018, @11:04AM (#697172)

    I remember ten years ago when all the online forums were screaming about how the US needed tariffs to combat pollution. What we need is for the democrats to implement them.

  • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 23 2018, @05:46PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 23 2018, @05:46PM (#697265)

    There is case for tariffs to offset the lack of worker and environmental protections in other countries (esp. China). Particularly since mercury, CO2, SO2, etc. released anywhere in the world eventually fuck everywhere in the world, so it IS our problem encouraging the short-term externalization of these costs.

    However what I just wrote is opposite of what Trump believes so not a factor in the China tariffs. Not having listened to his argument for tariffs, I'd wager it's primarily about tax cuts for billionaires and a reduction in quality of life for everyone (including billionaires ultimately).