Tariffs Explained - Pyramyd AIR Insyder

100 % correct, thats what adults use to be able to do, but in this pampered age, peoples feelings are more important than actual facts, so if somones feelings are possibly hurt, the post will get locked or deleated, because you simply cant have a differing opinion than them. Its AGN's playpen and they can inforce the rules anyway they want, and make any excuse they want to lock, delete, or not lock a political post, but the rule about no politics, is not a absolutely rule, and based on what moderators feel about that particular post. In previous decades no or none, meant exactly that. But look around now, no,none,never, no longer mean what they once did. Its all about feelings.
My sentiments and biggest problem with here. But like YouTube it’s where everyone is. Lol
 
It kinda confuses me that under normal circumstances, most folks on these airgun forums downgrade/badmouth Chinese airguns or anything airgun related from China. But now since tariffs are to be imposed most everyone is all up in arms about it.
I wonder if for many it's just a gateway for them to express their opinions on the whole topic in general.
There’s truth in that I think. That said, Chinese rifles aren’t always bashed here, just think about Huben, Snowpeak and AV. Maybe also karma these days. Then there’s ammo, compressors and parts around that… All that aside, there’s Europe as well… so I really can’t imagine that there’s even one air gunner not negatively affected…
 
This whole trade war is completely unnecessary, and only hurts us regular folk. We don't live in the 50s anymore. Globalized trade and manufacturing is a thing now.

Even if a product is made in the USA, chances are that some of the parts and even the raw materials came from somewhere else. No country in the world has all the resources, and that's a good thing. It makes sure that we all need each other and prevents global tensions from getting out of hand.

As a European I absolutely love how proactive Americans are when it comes to after market parts. And Im impressed by American brands like Western Airguns, and what they've been able to achieve. Likewise, Im proud of European companies who push the market forward, like FX and Taipan.

Then there's the Asian brands like Huben and Evanix who continue to impress.

We're all in this together, and these tarrifs do nothing except hamper progress and isolate markets.
 
It kinda confuses me that under normal circumstances, most folks on these airgun forums downgrade/badmouth Chinese airguns or anything airgun related from China. But now since tariffs are to be imposed most everyone is all up in arms about it.
I wonder if for many it's just a gateway for them to express their opinions on the whole topic in general.
Long live the BAM rifles of yesteryear and QB Series of Co2 guns still available!
Those PCP’s and Co2 guns converted to HPA taught me a lot on my journey to my current RAW PCP’s.
My Xisco compressor been going strong on 5 years now and I have been buying Harbor Freight tools for 25 years🙂.
HF tools may not be the best, but very adequate for most home applications.
 
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This whole trade war is completely unnecessary, and only hurts us regular folk. We don't live in the 50s anymore. Globalized trade and manufacturing is a thing now.

Even if a product is made in the USA, chances are that some of the parts and even the raw materials came from somewhere else. No country in the world has all the resources, and that's a good thing. It makes sure that we all need each other and prevents global tensions from getting out of hand.

As a European I absolutely love how proactive Americans are when it comes to after market parts. And Im impressed by American brands like Western Airguns, and what they've been able to achieve. Likewise, Im proud of European companies who push the market forward, like FX and Taipan.

Then there's the Asian brands like Huben and Evanix who continue to impress.

We're all in this together, and these tarrifs do nothing except hamper progress and isolate markets.
Amen 🌈🚀🎯.
 
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This whole trade war is completely unnecessary, and only hurts us regular folk. We don't live in the 50s anymore. Globalized trade and manufacturing is a thing now.

Even if a product is made in the USA, chances are that some of the parts and even the raw materials came from somewhere else. No country in the world has all the resources, and that's a good thing. It makes sure that we all need each other and prevents global tensions from getting out of hand.

As a European I absolutely love how proactive Americans are when it comes to after market parts. And Im impressed by American brands like Western Airguns, and what they've been able to achieve. Likewise, Im proud of European companies who push the market forward, like FX and Taipan.

Then there's the Asian brands like Huben and Evanix who continue to impress.

We're all in this together, and these tarrifs do nothing except hamper progress and isolate markets.
Ok well tell that to the rest of the world, including the EU and UK. There have been either tariffs or trade deficit quotas taking advantage of the US for several decades now. This is just the US trying to stop funding all trade and industry across the globe at our expense. Globalized trade and manufacturing is largely a direct result of all the lopsided international trade that began before any of us were born.

And the companies that have raised prices, and when/if the tariffs are lowered that do not update their prices afterwards will no longer get my business. Unfortunately there are a lot of Air Industry companies and other supporting industries that will do just that. They will use all this to raise prices now, and they will never come back down regardless what tariff deals are made.
 
Ok well tell that to the rest of the world, including the EU and UK. There have been either tariffs or trade deficit quotas taking advantage of the US for several decades now. This is just the US trying to stop funding all trade and industry across the globe at our expense. Globalized trade and manufacturing is largely a direct result of all the lopsided international trade that began before any of us were born.

And the companies that have raised prices, and when/if the tariffs are lowered that do not update their prices afterwards will no longer get my business. Unfortunately there are a lot of Air Industry companies and other supporting industries that will do just that. They will use all this to raise prices now, and they will never come back down regardless what tariff deals are made.
Trade deficit doesn’t mean that it’s due to tariffs or anything “unfair” though. Just means that someone is better/luckier/more efficient at making stuff that everybody else wants. Or doesn’t give a crap about their own people. The western hemisphere including the US has been consuming on the back of exploited workers in the third world since… well… forever.

A trade war and tariffs will therefore mostly hit the people benefiting most from free global trade. The consumer. And it’s not going to benefit the exploited workers somewhere else either.

One other thing to consider though. “The US funding global trade” is a somewhat odd way to put the fact that people in the US (me included) like to consume all sorts of stuff coming from abroad because it’s either better or cheaper than US made or because there simply isn’t a made in the US of A alternative. If we want to balance trade deficit there’s two ways. Either we consume less (I don’t wanna… but that’s what tariffs are aiming at) or we make more stuff others want to buy. Like, better cars… or beef without growth hormones and such. Also note that if internet based service/revenue generation would be included in trade balance (like Google, Facebook etc earning money through clicks from abroad) would be included in the trade statistics they would look entirely different cause the US is really good at that stuff (they aren’t included because it would be hard to measure). Just food for thought I guess.
 
Trade deficit doesn’t mean that it’s due to tariffs or anything “unfair” though. Just means that someone is better/luckier/more efficient at making stuff that everybody else wants. Or doesn’t give a crap about their own people. The western hemisphere including the US has been consuming on the back of exploited workers in the third world since… well… forever.

A trade war and tariffs will therefore mostly hit the people benefiting most from free global trade. The consumer. And it’s not going to benefit the exploited workers somewhere else either.

One other thing to consider though. “The US funding global trade” is a somewhat odd way to put the fact that people in the US (me included) like to consume all sorts of stuff coming from abroad because it’s either better or cheaper than US made or because there simply isn’t a made in the US of A alternative. If we want to balance trade deficit there’s two ways. Either we consume less (I don’t wanna… but that’s what tariffs are aiming at) or we make more stuff others want to buy. Like, better cars… or beef without growth hormones and such. Also note that if internet based service/revenue generation would be included in trade balance (like Google, Facebook etc earning money through clicks from abroad) would be included in the trade statistics they would look entirely different cause the US is really good at that stuff (they aren’t included because it would be hard to measure). Just food for thought I guess.
Trade deficit quotas dont always affect the US in a negative way, but I am specifically talking about negative international trade transactions. And there are a lot of them, spread out to the majority of the countries currently recognized in international jurisdictions. It is hypocritical to all of the sudden start complaining that the US has been contemplating tariffs and trade quotas on the same countries that have been enjoying lopsided deals since WW2. The reality is we have propped up many many countries by over paying for products and services so they can fund wealth generation they wouldnt normally gain.

And we have not always relied on other countries for our product consumption, that is something that started after WW2. It was done in an effort to increase global wealth, paid for by the developed nations primarily the US. We used to primarily use our resources, and our own manufacturing to supply the US market demands. Like I mentioned it has been happening since before any of us were born, but it wasnt always this way.

I think both solutions you mention are the best way forward. We should be consuming less, and manufacturing more.
 
Trade deficit quotas dont always affect the US in a negative way, but I am specifically talking about negative international trade transactions. And there are a lot of them, spread out to the majority of the countries currently recognized in international jurisdictions. It is hypocritical to all of the sudden start complaining that the US has been contemplating tariffs and trade quotas on the same countries that have been enjoying lopsided deals since WW2. The reality is we have propped up many many countries by over paying for products and services so they can fund wealth generation they wouldnt normally gain.

And we have not always relied on other countries for our product consumption, that is something that started after WW2. It was done in an effort to increase global wealth, paid for by the developed nations primarily the US. We used to primarily use our resources, and our own manufacturing to supply the US market demands. Like I mentioned it has been happening since before any of us were born, but it wasnt always this way.

I think both solutions you mention are the best way forward. We should be consuming less, and manufacturing more.
Yeah, but before global trade people had way less stuff. And what I don’t get is who is this ominous “us” that are overpaying and undercharging. How do developed nations “pay” for that?! Like, if I buy cheap stuff from abroad, it’s me paying for it. No one else. Like, we can buy so many things cheaper than ever before. I still remember the first flatscreens being $30k some 20-30 years ago. I don’t think it’s that we never relied on other countries to produce what we consume. I think we simply consume way more and at wonky able to do that because some poor guy somewhere in the middle of nowhere produces the stuff for $3 a day.

I for one am very libertarian. Let people do and buy whatever they want, it’s their money. Why should I pay the IRS 140% just because I wanna buy something from a guy in China?! Cause in the end it’s me paying it (or being prevented from buying what I want with my own money).

Yeah there are certain strategic good we have to make sure to never rely on others so go for tariffs on those to make sure we’ll always have people that make them and control over those. But for regular consumption stuff? Let people buy what they want. Goes both ways of course so if there are real tariffs imposed by other countries yeah, get them to abolish them and if that means we have levy the same $ for $ to get them to lower them then I understand that. It also burdens the consumer but it may be necessary to level the playing field. But claiming that trade deficit is because of unfair practices and tariffs and calculating reciprocal tariffs on the basis of trade deficit is just… overburdening the consumer and not doing any good?! At least imho. But the long story short is I just want to buy stuff from abroad without paying the government :) plus I sort of want the economy and the stock market to do well I guess…
 
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Ok well tell that to the rest of the world, including the EU and UK. There have been either tariffs or trade deficit quotas taking advantage of the US for several decades now. This is just the US trying to stop funding all trade and industry across the globe at our expense. Globalized trade and manufacturing is largely a direct result of all the lopsided international trade that began before any of us were born.

And the companies that have raised prices, and when/if the tariffs are lowered that do not update their prices afterwards will no longer get my business. Unfortunately there are a lot of Air Industry companies and other supporting industries that will do just that. They will use all this to raise prices now, and they will never come back down regardless what tariff deals are made.
So, do you still buy gasoline or diesel? Barrel of oil goes up and gas prices exceed base cost percentage increase. Barrel of oil returns to old price or lower oil companies reduce prices ~70% of old prices.

History is rife with examples of domestic companies unaffected by tariff matching import cost increases. And just as oil companies do, only reducing prices less than the increase was.

Must return value to shareholders (investor class) and in a consumer economy that is done on the backs of the consumers.
 
Yeah, but before global trade people had way less stuff. And what I don’t get is who is this ominous “us” that are overpaying and undercharging. How do developed nations “pay” for that?! Like, if I buy cheap stuff from abroad, it’s me paying for it. No one else. Like, we can buy so many things cheaper than ever before. I still remember the first flatscreens being $30k some 20-30 years ago. I don’t think it’s that we never relied on other countries to produce what we consume. I think we simply consume way more and at wonky able to do that because some poor guy somewhere in the middle of nowhere produces the stuff for $3 a day.

I for one am very libertarian. Let people do and buy whatever they want, it’s their money. Why should I pay the IRS 140% just because I wanna buy something from a guy in China?! Cause in the end it’s me paying it (or being prevented from buying what I want with my own money).

Yeah there are certain strategic good we have to make sure to never rely on others so go for tariffs on those to make sure we’ll always have people that make them and control over those. But for regular consumption stuff? Let people buy what they want. Goes both ways of course so if there are real tariffs imposed by other countries yeah, get them to abolish them and if that means we have levy the same $ for $ to get them to lower them then I understand that. It also burdens the consumer but it may be necessary to level the playing field. But claiming that trade deficit is because of unfair practices and tariffs and calculating reciprocal tariffs on the basis of trade deficit is just… overburdening the consumer and not doing any good?! At least imho. But the long story short is I just want to buy stuff from abroad without paying the government :) plus I sort of want the economy and the stock market to do well I guess…
Not the IRS, Customs and Border Patrol collects tariffs.
 
So, do you still buy gasoline or diesel? Barrel of oil goes up and gas prices exceed base cost percentage increase. Barrel of oil returns to old price or lower oil companies reduce prices ~70% of old prices.

History is rife with examples of domestic companies unaffected by tariff matching import cost increases. And just as oil companies do, only reducing prices less than the increase was.

Must return value to shareholders (investor class) and in a consumer economy that is done on the backs of the consumers.
I've spent my entire adult life in the oil industry and I don't think you understand your point about oil/gasoline. It sounds like you don't understand the logistics between crude and the local Arco.
 
Always going to be deficits. I mean we all have a trade deficit with our grocery stores for example. Pretty sure we all still benefit from the relationship.
The grocery store doesn't charge you some random percentage per transaction for the privilege of doing business with them. What you are describing is the natural and expected benefit of profit from doing business. Ideally both parties have some kind of fair exchange and share a mutual benefit of some kind. What has been happening with the US for decades is mostly not a fair exchange, we end up losing twice.

And to get back on topic it does look like some pcp prices have gone up recently, and some sharply.
 
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I've spent my entire adult life in the oil industry and I don't think you understand your point about oil/gasoline. It sounds like you don't understand the logistics between crude and the local Arco.
I understand economics and production. Cost of production for crude based products has one basic variable, crude oil prices. Sourcing of said crude is the prime variable within the open crude market.

Basic refining and delivery is a moderately well fixed cost. Hence cost of gasoline tracks to a certain extent the price of a barrel of oil.

Basically the oil companies have used the price of a barrel of oil to gouge the consumers.

Prime evidence, continuing record quarterly profits by oil companies.
 
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The grocery store doesn't charge you some random percentage per transaction for the privilege of doing business with them. What you are describing is the natural and expected benefit of profit from doing business. Ideally both parties have some kind of fair exchange and share a mutual benefit of some kind. What has been happening with the US for decades is mostly not a fair exchange, we end up losing twice.

And to get back on topic it does look like some pcp prices have gone up recently, and some sharply.
We are a big consuming country. It’s natural that we will import a larger monetary amount of goods than we export with many places. I just feel those metrics presented on that glorious whatever it was called day were highly misleading and no reason to slap the whole world in the face.
 
The grocery store doesn't charge you some random percentage per transaction for the privilege of doing business with them. What you are describing is the natural and expected benefit of profit from doing business. Ideally both parties have some kind of fair exchange and share a mutual benefit of some kind. What has been happening with the US for decades is mostly not a fair exchange, we end up losing twice.

And to get back on topic it does look like some pcp prices have gone up recently, and some sharply.
yeah but even if the grocery store would charge me a fee, that doesn’t mean that someone else should come in and start charging me another additional fee…

That said (and apologies in advance for getting a bit nerdy): Imho it needs to differentiated. Where we trade with countries with equally developed economies, tariffs should be balanced to have fair trade. Ideally, no or almost no tariffs with those guys. Where we trade with developing/third world countries, we should accept that they levy some or even somewhat high tariffs on stuff coming from us. Why? Because it’s basically a luxury tax on their own people. Like some rich guy in Brazil or Vietnam buying high end products from abroad where there isn’t any local alternative anyway. If they wanna tax that guy via tariffs I don’t think that’s unfair to us.

Now, if we accept this concept for a moment, this means “unfair” trade could primarily be a problem with other equally developed economies. Say the EU as an example. So let’s take a look what those guys actually levy on US exports to them. In 2017, average tariff on imports from the US in the EU was a sensational 1.35%. Around 68% of US exports into the EU were completely exempt and duty free (note that VAT aka sales tax is not a tariff, it is levied on domestic sales alike…). The average US tariff on stuff imported from the EU was 1.39%, with around 66% being fully exempt. Hardly unfair/unbalanced, right? So what changed during/after 2017 you wonder? Well, WE started with tariffs on steel and such, which prompted the EU to levy additional tariffs as well. Based on our logic, that is perfectly fine since THEY simply implemented reciprocal tariffs. Since then it’s been a wonky back and forth. Same goes for NAFTA/USMCA. EU proposed zero tariff on both sides. If we really just wanted fair trade, we’d take that deal right? But we didn’t…
 
Ok well tell that to the rest of the world, including the EU and UK. There have been either tariffs or trade deficit quotas taking advantage of the US for several decades now. This is just the US trying to stop funding all trade and industry across the globe at our expense. Globalized trade and manufacturing is largely a direct result of all the lopsided international trade that began before any of us were born.

And the companies that have raised prices, and when/if the tariffs are lowered that do not update their prices afterwards will no longer get my business. Unfortunately there are a lot of Air Industry companies and other supporting industries that will do just that. They will use all this to raise prices now, and they will never come back down regardless what tariff deals are made.

And yet, the US has remained comfortably on top as the richest country in the world. There are individual states who's GDP surpasses entire countries, like Japan. California alone cracks the top 5 biggest economies in the world.

Quite impressive for a country that is allegedly being taken advantage of left and right.
 
...Quite impressive for a country that is allegedly being taken advantage of left and right.
I think that with increasing debt one has to wonder whether our economic performance is really impressive?

But maybe not too much longer? Hopefully we will see how much more impressive the U.S. could be doing when trading relationships are more equitable...
 
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