as I mentioned, comparative advantage may be one big reason iow... the USA could, but they have better things to do
Well, that's a huge question which I can't answer w/ much certainty. However, at first blush, I'd say tariffs will make voters happy (by transferring taxes from income to consumption)... in spite of possibly hurting their pocketbooks. It may be a short lived effect. IDK
Nope. When I worked for Apple, everything was increasingly outsourced by the day to take advantage of slave labor in other countries. Socialist/Communist countries like China were perfect for this, from a profit motive for Tim Cook. Even when we willingly and knowingly were busted for child-labour and numerous other violations, the PR team would just twist things around on the website to make it out like we were actually helping the Chinese from the bottom of our good souls and how amazing this all was to be for everyone. The irony was watching Cook talk during one of our yearly presentations and state how we were going to keep (one of our obsoleting computers) 100% made in America. There was a loud cheer by patriots, despite the line was going to be discontinued anyhow and made up less than 1% of sales already by then... Let's just say I've been very weary of 's virtue signaling ever since I was employed there.
Tariffs allow the fascist in charge to score brownie points with his supporters until they realize their true impact. There is nothing practical about any of it and Trump is trying to avoid checks and balances that supposedly prevent American leader's from screwing everything up.
Tightening the screws down. That is what it is called. Canada doesn't need us and we don't need Canada. We don't need China much to their chagrin. We certainly should not be in NATO or the UN. Our leaders sold us out with all this free trade crap and Mr T is going to fix that problem unless congress stops him or some judges stop him. There are other countries that Canada can sell their products to and their oil to. It has nothing to do with checks and balances. All you can discuss is fascist and brownie points.
I think you guys are looking at it from the wrong perspective. He's a Russian asset. The only objective is to wreck the USA. There is no rhyme or reason.
Tariff is good for other countries. European stock markets (DAX, CAC40, STOXX50, OMX ...) keep on breaking record high. Hangseng has been up for the past 1 month. US index futures have been going sideways.