President Donald Trump has announced he plans to increase a tariff on cars and trucks imported from the European Union effective next week, a move that could jolt the world economy at a fragile moment. “I am pleased to announce that, based on the fact the European Union is not complying with our fully agreed to trade deal, next week I will be increasing tariffs charged to the European Union for cars and trucks coming into the United States. The tariff will be increased to 25%,” he wrote Friday. “It is fully understood and agreed that, if they produce cars and trucks in U.S.A. plants, there will be NO TARIFF.” Trump did not elaborate on his specific grievances over the EU and their supposed noncompliance with the trade deal. It comes despite an agreement reached last July between Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, which established a 15% tariff on the majority of goods.
Let me guess. More subsidies for the car industry?
Gotta have enough of tax money pocketing.
Reciprocity is a beautiful thing.
No American cars in the rest of the world. Overall a net benefit to humanity.
Where I live, we drive on the left. This has the advantage that we barely see any american auto monstrosities here.
We have Teslas, but that’s about it.
no one in decent countries buys that shit anyway.
Loads of indecent people here.
There are so many huge ass American trucks on the road in Europe. They don’t fit anywhere, they take up way too much parking space. And the people driving them ride around like lunatics. They go way too fast everywhere, can’t see anything, don’t even notice speedbumps as they drive over at double the speed limit. They don’t care for pedestrians or bikes and regularly hop the curve. They usually park on the sidewalk or in the grass as they don’t fit in parking spaces. They make too much noise, use too much fuel and exhaust too much shit. I’ve also seen them not give way in situations they should have, because with a big thing like that barreling down the road, who’s going to argue.
There is this one asshole I see all the time that has a huge engine and what sounds like no exhaust on his lifted American truck. He drives at full open throttle till the last possible moment before a curve, only to hit the brakes as hard as he can, to then accelerate again full blast. I’m pretty sure people simple walking past can get hearing damage from that thing. Also he works in construction so he likes to drive all through the neighborhood at 6:00 in the morning. I’ve seen another truck that is so large, there is an extra step that is electrically extended when parked. It’s fucking wide as well, so it always parks in the middle of a small little park, otherwise it would block the road. Another dickhead that thankfully has since moved away used to always drive waaay too fast with his American truck. Like most of them drive too fast, but this dude was doing over 100 on small neighborhood streets with a speed limit of 30. And we’re talking European small streets, so like the width of an American truck. I’ve seen people jank their dogs on the leash out of the path of this asshole and seen him drive kids on bike off the road.
They use some weird loophole meant for importing really unique vehicles that can’t pass any European inspection. Like for example a hotdog shaped food truck or something like that. But these special import companies label custom ordered big ass American trucks as specialty vehicles and import them like that. That way they don’t have to pass inspection (because they are super duper illegal just as a regular car) and they don’t even pay regular taxes on the thing. The EU has said they are going to close the loophole for years now, but it hasn’t happened yet.
It’s really amazing there are people out there who are such levels of asshole as to put a shit ton of money into something like that. It’s like going out of your way to show the world just how much of an asshole you are and at the same time a tool to be even more of an asshole.
The only reason Buick still exists is because they’re huge status symbols in China.
What the fuck are you talking about? Buick is anything but a status symbol. I lived here for 7 years now and can’t remember the last time I have seen one. They have a joint venture with SAIC, a state owned car company and the cars are often rebranded. Mostly German brands were seen as status symbols but that’s no longer the case either due to arrogance and lack of innovation. Except maybe audi who have some Chinese only EV’s. Now local high end cars, especially EV’s are trending. Nio, Xiaomi, Li, Xpeng, Maextro to name a few. You barely see any American car brand here.
Oh and I’m a car nut so I know what I’m talking about
This was back when they shuttered Pontiac, which happened in 2010. They were going to drop Buick then as well.
Oh, and you can drop the attitude.
Lol at the rate Chinese cars are improving they’ll get over that particular cultural disease in less than a decade.
Pretty soon they won’t need cars. They’re building so many bullet trains, that you can take practically one from your front door to the grocery store.
They’re eating our lunch, and our leaders are totally clueless, and wouldn’t even care if they knew.
In a country as large as China, determined assholes will be a big enough market, i expect.
Are they still? Western prestige cars are having an increasingly hard time in China, given that they are all run with that dirty stone age technology based on fosil fuels, while domestic cars are shinier, better, cleaner and performing better and are technologically cutting edge.
You’d be surprised.
Not much in terms of US produced cars are sold here, maybe Teslas aside. Maybe Ford but aren’t the producing outside of the US for Europe?
Aren’t European Fords designed in the UK?
They are
It’s a Friday he’s just messing with the markets and waiting for Taco Tuesday
Hasn’t it already been established that he doesn’t have the authority to do this?
He found a loophole in the “No one will stop me” doctrine.
The “Donroe Doctrine.” So fucking stupid.
The people who are supposed to stop him need to be held for treason along with his ugly fat diaper ass
Treason is the wrong term. They need to be held accountable and charged for crimes committed. However Treason is a specific crime and not one that was committed here.
I imagine it’s pretty tough to convict an elected official of dereliction of duty. The attempt alone would at least create some deterrence, though.
Depending on what they did wrong, congress can remove other members, or voters need to vote them out. Voters are too locked into their party to do their job well in the US.
Literally by his Supreme Court. WTF??
The courts will say he isn’t but you need to give them 2 years to do it. Then he’ll make a tiny change and get two more years.
And that, dear Ursula, is what happens if you bend the knee to the orange turd. You thought you appeased him? You emboldened him. He saw you fold, came back, demanded more - and will continue to do so. Maybe this time round you’ll take a page from China’s playbook: you stay rigid, and let him run into the wall, orange face first. Eventually, he’ll TACO.
I’m no Ursula, but I am European and I don’t buy anything American anymore.
Don’t forget these people are all paid in some way by the US. They may be somewhat loyal to the EU, but won’t act against the US either.
I mean, the US market has already been dying for some time. Who wants to buy a 90k pickup truck?
Apparently a lot of people because I see them on the road. I don’t know where they find the money - I can’t afford those payments, and as a senior software engineer I’m well aware I make more than average by a lot.
Loans.
You can get 8 year auto loans now.
No one buys a 90k pickup. They get a 90k pickup for 120k and 256 bi monthly payments.
And then you have to trade it in to cover the balloon payment on the portion not financed.
@SapphironZA
I guess you *reeeally* have to WANT a 90k pickup truck.
Especially when your neighbor just got an 80k one. :blobamused:
That’s funny because I distinctly remember the US having trade deals that explicitly didn’t allow the creation of new tariffs.
He said he’d tariff cars and trucks, but not car and truck parts. The EU could start shipping in cars that are just one big part, and the single remaining tire lug nut; then assemble them in the US. You can’t buy the car without it, it’s incomplete and not ready to drive!
For a little while now I’ve wanted to ask my representatives why there’s no sanctions on Trump yet, and if any are planned. These new tariffs certainly show appeasement or defusion doesn’t work. All while we’re losing much more in terms of international rule of law and the incoming long term impacts.
They’re probably hesitant/refusing sanctions because we’re so connected to the US, economically and politically. But seeing the US government violate international law and no consequences being taken like against Russian war-connected people is frustrating to see.
I wonder if Trump wouldn’t be more willing to leave Iran if Europe put more pressure on him.
Write a letter. It need not be long, just a few sentences. The real goal is when staffers compile their reports about what constituents care about this gets on the list, and the larger the number the better.
There are others reasons to write letters. However it is difficult to get your congressman to read and consider a long well written letter - they get so much mail that most of it is handled by staffers. Thus the quick letter with the goal of just getting into the weekly summary of issues is often a good goal, and needs much less effort on your part. If you have the energy to write a long carefully considered letter by all means do - but these are best shared publicly with the goal of getting thousands of people to sign and send a copy (which ensures that it is read because thousands care - but hundreds is not enough to get it past the filter). If you know the congressman personally in some way (including friend of a friend) sometimes you can bypass the process and get things read directly. Townhalls where you can speak for 30 seconds (you should practice and time you 25 second, 55 second, and 2:55 speeches before hand - then depending on the time controls give the correct one - you want to come off as someone who didn’t memorize the speech though despite the practice)
How’s that council reluctance to ammend the agreement, like the parliament wanted, looking now? Can we finally sack Ursula for being useless or?
Is anyone even listening to this guy anymore? No one fucking cares Donnie.
Liar lies, hater hates. “news”
