let's talk about cheap junk. I just bought a coil, cdi, and stator with wiring harness for an ATV. total price $88. Just the trigger coil part of the complete Stator assembly OEM was $75.
All those components installed and working. They certainly were cheap, we will see if they are junk. It would sure take more than a 300% tariff to get those aftermarket products anywhere near OEM price. With a 30 to 50% tariff I would still be buying the cheap stuff and just paying the tax.

Eventually you would have to buy theirs, we were headed there fast. More and more of a consumer nation daily..

I'm all for free trade, zero tariffs. Other nations didn't see it that way, so what's our options?

Can inflation dropping to low levels all the while tariffs were applied be explained?

Makes me think there is a bigger picture to be looked at.

Inflation is not at low levels. It is pretty much where it has been since end of 2024. Tariffs are just one inflationary pressure. Most of the tariffs have been reduced and a bunch have been eliminated since Liberation day so the pressure is pretty minor now.

Correct,

The same low levels compared to the previous 4 years and DIDN'T go up after tariffs instituted. Ya can't argue that.

Tariffs are one part of the equation as you said, and can have positive results in home grown production and better paying jobs.

Remember what Ross Perot said about the great sucking sound?

To simple

It was about Mexico. What he say about free trade with Europe( or Europe north: Canada). Those working men in Europe got it better than in the USA.

are you DAFT??

inflation at the end of 2024 was 3-4 times what it is now.

Huh???

https://www.usinflationcalculator.com/inflation/current-inflation-rates/

inflation was near 9 percent for awhile, under Biden.

perhaps I got my years wrong.

my real point was that PRICES don't come down, even if the inflation rate does...at least they never did during/after the inflationary period during the late 1970's

Where is my apology?

You're sorry.

Technology is deflationary

We have entered a hyper “technology” era,,,

Prices will fall,,,,,drastically

The illusion of rising prices comes from an increase in money supply

The problem coming up is technology is going to put huge parts of the population out of work

Mainly “white collar” workers at first,,,,

People are going to start wanting more social programs(UBI,,etc)

Causing governments to increase money supply even more,,,

Which is inflationary

Mr Perot was talking about Mexico at the time because that was the subject at the time. Trade with all countries has been eased since then.

there, there...I'm sorry I hurt your feelings.

How's the job market in the U.S.? Hard to find one?

"The data in Table 1 shows U.S. average tariffs for Mexico, Canada and the rest of the world in
1989, 1993 and 2001. The U.S. simple average tariff applied to imports from Mexico declined from 4.01
percent in 1989 to 3.15 percent in 1993 before falling further to 0.52 percent in 2001."