So, like, President-elect Donald Trump is literally about to take office on January 20, 2025, and his trade ideas are, like, shaking things up BIG time. You know, he’s all about those 25% tariffs on imports from places like Canada, Mexico, and China. Sounds like he’s trying to bring back, like, 1950s America or something, right? Anyway, the whole point is to make U.S. factories pop off and fix trade stuff. But, um, the experts are warning us that this could totally mess things up everywhere, including in the U.S.
So, like, Trump wants a 10% tariff on goods from China. And, OMG, this is gonna be huge because China sends, like, a ton of stuff to the U.S. Experts are, like, already saying it’s gonna mess with supply chains and make things super expensive. Alan Deardorff, who’s, like, this big economics brain at the University of Michigan, said, “Higher prices of imported goods could prompt domestic producers to raise their prices, potentially leading to inflation.” Ugh, inflation? Ew. No thanks. Also, China could totally retaliate with its own tariffs, which would, like, hurt U.S. exporters.
Also, I mean, yeah, it’s great that John Smith might get a job working in a newly built factory in the USA, but do people in the US really want to pay double or more for American-made goods? I think all people would rather just buy the cheap stuff from abroad, y’know?
Then there’s Mexico, which is, like, one of America’s besties in trade, but with a proposed 25% tariff? Yikes! That’s, like, seriously bad vibes. The Brookings Institution spilled the tea, saying that this could “disrupt the integrated supply chains that have developed under agreements like the USMCA, leading to increased production costs and potential job losses in both countries.” Um, hello? Job losses? No bueno.
Canada’s not here for this drama either. They’ve got this super tight trading relationship with the U.S., so they’re basically bracing for impact. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (who’s not gonna be PM for much longer) is calling out the tariffs, saying it’s just gonna, like, jack up prices for American shoppers and cause drama between the two countries. Canada’s, like, done this before and retaliated with tariffs on things like orange juice and steel. Classic clapbacks. This is another reason prices will go up in the US.
Okay, so what about America? Like, sure, Trump says it’s all about “America first” or whatever, but experts are kind of, like, nervous about it. Jan Hatzius, who’s, like, the big-deal economist at Goldman Sachs, thinks this could backfire. He said, “Tariffs, particularly on Chinese goods, pose significant risks to U.S. growth, potentially reducing GDP growth by 0.4 percentage points and raising inflation from 2.1% to 2.4%.” Um, yeah, that sounds bad. Like seriously, nobody likes inflation.
And this is not just a U.S. thing. These tariffs could totally ruin international vibes. Like, Reuters said they might even “violate the terms of the USMCA.” So, like, this whole duty-free trade thing between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico? Yeah, that’s in serious danger. No one likes a party pooper.
Trump’s tariffs might sound like a good idea to protect American jobs and all, but, like, let’s be real — it could just make things worse. With rising prices, potential job losses, and awkward international relationships, is this really the vibe we’re going for?
XOXO,
Valley Girl News
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