Can you imagine being a company, or even just a small business owner trying to make long-term plans in this environment?
Say you run a pest-control business in Texas. Things are going well, so you’re thinking about hiring your neighbour’s fat son to do some work during the summer. Then the tariff chaos starts. Do the chemicals you need for your business get more expensive? You buy them from DuPont, a good American company, but where does DuPont get the raw materials? The tariffs change week to week, sometimes day to day, so it’s really hard to know what your costs are going to be, and what you’ll have to charge. One of your other neighbours, Americans, but originally from Laos, have been good customers over the years, but what if ICE deports them? Your wife’s massage therapist has been snatched twice by ICE now because he “looks Mexican” even though everybody knows he’s Native American.
And there’s your best buddy who works in propane. You’d think that that would be safe from tariffs, but it turns out a lot of the accessories he sells are manufactured in China. If he loses his job, his wife’s salary as a teacher isn’t going to be enough to keep them afloat.
Ford looks to be top in most assembled in the US. However where do the parts come from? To determine the best cost value (ignoring quality) you’d have to break down the import costs for everything based on origin and see which US assembled car is less impacted. Or if it’s just cheaper to buy a totally imported car made somewhere else.
I have a feeling that American labor in each step of the supply chain is gonna be the key factor that drives up the final price of a car, combined with the tariff added cost of raw materials and/or components that can’t or won’t be made in the USA. It’ll be interesting to watch, especially considering how the idiot-in-chief has been meddling with the CHIPS program office and how that may impact ongoing efforts to expand production state-side.
Can you imagine being a company, or even just a small business owner trying to make long-term plans in this environment?
Say you run a pest-control business in Texas. Things are going well, so you’re thinking about hiring your neighbour’s fat son to do some work during the summer. Then the tariff chaos starts. Do the chemicals you need for your business get more expensive? You buy them from DuPont, a good American company, but where does DuPont get the raw materials? The tariffs change week to week, sometimes day to day, so it’s really hard to know what your costs are going to be, and what you’ll have to charge. One of your other neighbours, Americans, but originally from Laos, have been good customers over the years, but what if ICE deports them? Your wife’s massage therapist has been snatched twice by ICE now because he “looks Mexican” even though everybody knows he’s Native American.
And there’s your best buddy who works in propane. You’d think that that would be safe from tariffs, but it turns out a lot of the accessories he sells are manufactured in China. If he loses his job, his wife’s salary as a teacher isn’t going to be enough to keep them afloat.
Damn did I enjoy this comment.
I just wanna say I love your comment and the KOTH references.
The problem with buying American is that your best options are brands like Ford. You know what Ford stands for? Fix it again Tony.
Can’t wait for the King of the Hill reboot or whatever it is. Should be out some time this year.
Ford looks to be top in most assembled in the US. However where do the parts come from? To determine the best cost value (ignoring quality) you’d have to break down the import costs for everything based on origin and see which US assembled car is less impacted. Or if it’s just cheaper to buy a totally imported car made somewhere else.
I have a feeling that American labor in each step of the supply chain is gonna be the key factor that drives up the final price of a car, combined with the tariff added cost of raw materials and/or components that can’t or won’t be made in the USA. It’ll be interesting to watch, especially considering how the idiot-in-chief has been meddling with the CHIPS program office and how that may impact ongoing efforts to expand production state-side.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3AJCdmW33fM