Just remember it’s not just crap from Shein, Temu, Ali express that’s being hit. Your former “friends” and long-time trade partners are also being impacted by this blanket policy.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/de-minimis-u-s-canada-endin...

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mindslight 3 days ago | parent | next [-]

The comments still focusing on Shein/Temu/Ali are wild. De minimis for China ended back on May 2nd. From what I saw on Aliexpress, it wasn't even a speed bump - the prices just went up, with "customs charges included". I've been receiving orders just fine.

Trump's policies are big on tough talk while actually having the opposite effects of the marketing. High import taxes hurt the pre-imported selection available from domestic retailers, as sellers have to pay the tax ahead of the sale and navigate the uncertainty that the rates might change in the future. Whereas direct-from-China goods already have cash in hand to pay the tariffs, and the only uncertainty is in the few days between purchase and arrival at customs. I expect to be buying many more things direct from Aliexpress, as the tariffs set in, domestic inventory is exhausted, and domestic-seller prices creep upwards.

Furthermore, the high tariffs on China do encourage investments in factories. Specifically, Chinese investment in factories outside of China, for final assembly of products. Investing in the United States would not be prudent, with the environment of political instability. So these policies are effectively strengthening China's relationships with other countries.

Never mind that many of the companies still known for manufacturing quality goods do so in other western countries. If the goal was really to oppose China, then it should have been time to pull together with our allies - not to levy import taxes to keep them (price-) uncompetitive with Chinese products, while alienating them with hostile rhetoric. Ultimately, our adversaries couldn't have dreamed of more favorable policies.

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pimlottc 3 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

What do you mean by putting "friends" in scare quotes?

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ricardo81 3 days ago | parent | next [-]

Not GP but presumably implying that is not how you treat friends and/or a policy targetting China has collateral damage.

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xethos 3 days ago | parent [-]

> a policy targetting China has collateral damage.

It is still a policy from someone threatening economic annexation of Canada. He's dropped the rhetoric, but I doubt he's given up on the concept. "Targeting China" is a very kind, possibly even forgetful, way of phrasing it.

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5071665-trump-ec...

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IAmBroom 3 days ago | parent [-]

Believe it or not, not everything is about Canada.

Trump hates China. His boss told him to.

	▲	xethos 3 days ago \| parent \| next [-]
		No, but it hardly seems irrelevant when root comment links a Canadian Broadcast Corporation story about Canadian Mom'n'Pop stores
	▲	loloquwowndueo 3 days ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		Not everything is about Canada, no. Mexico has also been disproportionately impacted by these protectionist policies. And that’s just the immediate neighbours with which the US has pursued trade agreements for decades.

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Waterluvian 3 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I can’t speak for all Canadians but all the ones I know do not see America as a friend or partner anymore. The entire tone has changed in a way I’ve never before experienced.

I think the thing some Americans mess themselves up with is thinking that the world perceives their domestic politics the same way they do. From our level of abstraction, America voted and Americans decided the country is going to be an anti-science, protectionist menace.

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IAmBroom 3 days ago | parent | next [-]

I can't speak for all Americans, but you're not wrong.

Protect yourself. If and when we have enough good governance to be friends again, we'll need your friendship.

	▲	Waterluvian 3 days ago \| parent \| next [-]
		Yeah, that’s probably the other palpable sentiment worth sharing: Canadians badly want to be best friends with Americans. It’s been a very regrettable cultural divorce.
	▲	mindslight 3 days ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		Seconded. But also, don't forget that the same exact shit can happen in Canada as well. Especially with a national threat actor now physically next door (little green men, etc).

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solox3 3 days ago | parent | prev [-]

Which straw broke the camel's back. Was it insulting the prime minister as a governor, threatening to annex the territory, threatening to "redraw borders", or calling Canadians "nasty people"?

	▲	Waterluvian 3 days ago \| parent [-]
		I think if we could point to a specific pivotal moment, it was when tariffs were first announced and Trudeau came on TV and discussed the difficult times ahead, the relationship as we knew it being over, and the announcement of counter tariffs and other plans. Then the Premiers announced things like removing American alcohol from shelves (Jack Daniel’s said this week that Canadian sales fell 62%), and shutting down various historical courtesies. For me at least that’s the moment it went from confusion, anger, and frustration to coordinated effort to take a defensive stance against the new aggressor nation. The petty child-like name calling from the American president was mostly just an evocation of “I’m embarrassed for you.”

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loloquwowndueo 3 days ago | parent | prev [-]

Justin Trudeau said it best:

the U.S. launched the trade war against Canada, “their closest partner and ally, their closest friend. At the same time, they’re talking about working positively with Russia, appeasing Vladimir Putin, a lying, murderous dictator. Make that make sense.”

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pimlottc 3 days ago | parent [-]

Ah, I was thinking of friends on an individual basis, not in geopolitical terms.

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nomoreofthat 2 days ago | parent [-]

Well, this has affected my friendships with Americans. Most of them I’m still friends with, but being politically ambivalent or worse, supporting the president, is no longer acceptable. I tried to be open minded and have friends from different political backgrounds, but at this point if you are not explicitly on our side, you are an enemy and I am no longer talking talking to you. You either oppose the American government or you are evil. There is no alternative remaining at this point, and I’m not friends with evil people.

	▲	BobaFloutist a day ago \| parent [-]
		> Most of them I’m still friends with, but being politically ambivalent or worse, supporting the president, is no longer acceptable. Don't worry, those of us not in those camps have long reached the same conclusion.

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627467 3 days ago | parent | prev [-]

It's funny to see so much ideological incoherence: > we should consume local produce, is more sustainable and supports local communities

> what's your carbon footprint?! You fly around in jets 3 times a year?!

> let's buy 30c disposable crap from across the world while essentially subsidizing advanced industrialization of societies completely disconnected from our own

	▲	mindslight 3 days ago \| parent [-]
		At least it's possible to tease out some nuance between those topics. Unlike all the people still simping for the Manchurian candidate's immediately self-defeating policies - let's compete with China through stiff import taxes that directly hurt American businesses, let's be strong by alienating our allies, let's fix the market for manual labor by arresting individual illegal immigrants while giving passes to big businesses employing them at scale, let's fix inflation and government overreach by printing $5T of new money and spending it on unaccountable jackboots. It's perversely amazing how this whole movement continues to run on empty spectacles and identity politics. When it finally burns through its fervor, all of the existing problems are still going to be there, plus a whole host of new problems.