Saturday, February 24, 2018

Our trade deficit with China



It is about 400 billion a year in 2017. Are our products not competitive, or China has been setting up too many trade barriers? I believe both are true to some extent.

The figure is exaggerated a little. The raw materials are sent to China to assemble using lower-wage labor and sent them back to the US as finished products.

Using iPhone as an example, it is designed in US, assembled in China, using rare earth elements in China, using components from all over the world, and enjoyed by global consumers. The design cost should be deducted from the finished product when it is imported back to the US.

Our politicians suggest heavy tariffs on Chinese products. Most likely Chinese will fight back with same and it would lead to a trade war. Both sides will suffer. They will end and the politicians from both sides will declare victory. Seen this many times.

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The above is from my book "Profit from coming market crash" available from Amazon.com.


https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078NYR9DD

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