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Six months into tariffs, businesses have no idea how to price anything

(www.wsj.com)
462 points JumpCrisscross | 8 comments | 30 Aug 25 20:56 UTC | HN request time: 0.738s | source | bottom
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haunter ◴[30 Aug 25 22:47 UTC] No.45078660[source]▶
In the end it's the biggest leopard ate my face moment ever:

China has very high growth momentum that surpasses American living standards soon, and not long before it will surpass American security standards too. China's purchasing power is probably more comfortable than most western countries, with extensive housing and high speed rail and electric cars etc. When a country becomes rich, inevitably other countries ask for their help. That's why China's growth must be curbed, fast > tariff them to their death or so. But I really don't think it will work at all. And personally I don't even think it's a good idea at all to begin with.

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platevoltage ◴[30 Aug 25 22:55 UTC] No.45078714[source]▶
See this is what I don't understand. Everything you just said about China is a positive. Everything you said about China is achievable in the USA, and we at least HAD a head start on soft-power influence.

Instead we should just have tariffs instead of actually making the lives of Americans better while FIGHTING affordable housing, high speed rail, and EVs.

We've got an entire team of goons who would rather rack up penalty minutes than score goals. These freaks think we are competing with China in an MMA fight instead of a Hockey game.

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1. ehnto ◴[31 Aug 25 06:18 UTC] No.45080812[source]▶
I do think the state of progress in China is vastly underestimated by the west. It has been fast and messy, not evenly distributed, but it is staggering. The rhetoric around them is changing too, I think they are making significant soft power gains. I could easily see them filling the voids that US policy chaos is currently creating.
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2. generic92034 ◴[31 Aug 25 08:47 UTC] No.45081571[source]▶
> The rhetoric around them is changing too, I think they are making significant soft power gains. I could easily see them filling the voids that US policy chaos is currently creating.

As long as they are cooperating with Russia at least European countries will have a hard time to accept China's advances.

3. remus ◴[31 Aug 25 10:39 UTC] No.45082119[source]▶
> I could easily see them filling the voids that US policy chaos is currently creating.

More than that, I think China would be mad not to step into the vacuum the US is creating with it's isolationist policies. For years US aid has been extremely influential around the world, doing a huge amount of good (e.g. USAID) and buying relatively cheap influence in many countries. Countries that were reliant on that aid are going to be understandably jaded by their experience with the US and looking for more reliable allies.

4. bavell ◴[31 Aug 25 12:22 UTC] No.45082636[source]▶
China has a demographic time-bomb about to go off in the next decade or two. We'll see if they can survive it.
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5. StopDisinfo910 ◴[31 Aug 25 14:45 UTC] No.45083537[source]▶
China has been making soft power gains for a decade. They are everywhere in Africa. When I went to Macedonia five years ago, there was a giant screen in the main square explaining how their medical cooperation with China was such a boon for the country. China already is a diplomatic giant.

I think American are partially blinded by the crazy negative propaganda against China you see all the time in the US. They significantly underestimate where China stands and overestimate the impact American tariffs can have.

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6. platevoltage ◴[31 Aug 25 17:36 UTC] No.45085091[source]▶
They were making soft-power gains before that maniac we elected showed up. Now our now former allies are leaning on their shoulder.
7. ponector ◴[31 Aug 25 21:08 UTC] No.45087102[source]▶
Imagine how much can China get from cancelling USAID and replacing it with Chinese version!
8. mensetmanusman ◴[31 Aug 25 21:45 UTC] No.45087386[source]▶
It already did, labor force shrunk for the first time a few years ago.