Tariffs Catch-All

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But even as resorts take steps to fix their own mistakes, they cannot solve Las Vegas’ or the nation’s deeper tourism problem alone. The decline in international visitors, especially from Canada and Mexico, Nevada’s two largest foreign markets, has been catastrophic. No number of discounted room rates will fix it as long as the White House keeps waging war on foreign tourism.

President Donald Trump’s “America First” bluster may play well on social media, but it is hammering tourism-dependent cities like Las Vegas. Canadians, who once poured 1.49 million visitors into Nevada each year, are increasingly staying home. International visitors, who typically stay longer and spend more, are crucial to the city’s economy — and they are being driven away.

Keep in mind, it’s not just Las Vegas or even large cities generally that rely on tourism dollars. Outdoor recreation brings $8.1 billion into Nevada’s economy and employs 58,000 people in the Silver State. Much of that money goes to places like the Moapa Valley, Mesquite and Laughlin, which serve as gateways to the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Utah’s national parks and Northern Arizona’s canyon country, respectively.

The reasons international tourists are staying away aren’t a mystery. Trump’s new “visa integrity fee,” which forces foreign tourists to hand over $250 in addition to existing visa costs, is the latest unnecessary barrier. Add to that Trump’s tariffs, his habit of insulting foreign leaders and companies, and his Justice Department’s aggressive immigration tactics that round up anyone who looks like they might not be a U.S. citizen, and you get a simple truth: People are less likely to spend their hard-earned vacation dollars in a country whose president seems to view them with disdain.

The damage goes beyond economics. Travel is, at its heart, an act of goodwill. It is a declaration that people want to experience American culture, spend their money here and share a little of their own culture in return. When a president mocks other nations, treats allies like adversaries and slaps unnecessary taxes and fees on travelers, he poisons that spirit.

Las Vegas can’t afford that kind of poison. No U.S. city can. Tourism is one of America’s greatest exports and international visitors are among its best customers. In 2026, when the United States co-hosts the World Cup, millions of foreign fans will decide whether to spend their time and money in cities like Las Vegas. If they are greeted with insults, they will simply go elsewhere.
 


But even as resorts take steps to fix their own mistakes, they cannot solve Las Vegas’ or the nation’s deeper tourism problem alone. The decline in international visitors, especially from Canada and Mexico, Nevada’s two largest foreign markets, has been catastrophic. No number of discounted room rates will fix it as long as the White House keeps waging war on foreign tourism.

President Donald Trump’s “America First” bluster may play well on social media, but it is hammering tourism-dependent cities like Las Vegas. Canadians, who once poured 1.49 million visitors into Nevada each year, are increasingly staying home. International visitors, who typically stay longer and spend more, are crucial to the city’s economy — and they are being driven away.

Keep in mind, it’s not just Las Vegas or even large cities generally that rely on tourism dollars. Outdoor recreation brings $8.1 billion into Nevada’s economy and employs 58,000 people in the Silver State. Much of that money goes to places like the Moapa Valley, Mesquite and Laughlin, which serve as gateways to the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Utah’s national parks and Northern Arizona’s canyon country, respectively.

The reasons international tourists are staying away aren’t a mystery. Trump’s new “visa integrity fee,” which forces foreign tourists to hand over $250 in addition to existing visa costs, is the latest unnecessary barrier. Add to that Trump’s tariffs, his habit of insulting foreign leaders and companies, and his Justice Department’s aggressive immigration tactics that round up anyone who looks like they might not be a U.S. citizen, and you get a simple truth: People are less likely to spend their hard-earned vacation dollars in a country whose president seems to view them with disdain.

The damage goes beyond economics. Travel is, at its heart, an act of goodwill. It is a declaration that people want to experience American culture, spend their money here and share a little of their own culture in return. When a president mocks other nations, treats allies like adversaries and slaps unnecessary taxes and fees on travelers, he poisons that spirit.

Las Vegas can’t afford that kind of poison. No U.S. city can. Tourism is one of America’s greatest exports and international visitors are among its best customers. In 2026, when the United States co-hosts the World Cup, millions of foreign fans will decide whether to spend their time and money in cities like Las Vegas. If they are greeted with insults, they will simply go elsewhere.
Trump is bad for business.
 


But even as resorts take steps to fix their own mistakes, they cannot solve Las Vegas’ or the nation’s deeper tourism problem alone. The decline in international visitors, especially from Canada and Mexico, Nevada’s two largest foreign markets, has been catastrophic. No number of discounted room rates will fix it as long as the White House keeps waging war on foreign tourism.

President Donald Trump’s “America First” bluster may play well on social media, but it is hammering tourism-dependent cities like Las Vegas. Canadians, who once poured 1.49 million visitors into Nevada each year, are increasingly staying home. International visitors, who typically stay longer and spend more, are crucial to the city’s economy — and they are being driven away.

Keep in mind, it’s not just Las Vegas or even large cities generally that rely on tourism dollars. Outdoor recreation brings $8.1 billion into Nevada’s economy and employs 58,000 people in the Silver State. Much of that money goes to places like the Moapa Valley, Mesquite and Laughlin, which serve as gateways to the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Utah’s national parks and Northern Arizona’s canyon country, respectively.

The reasons international tourists are staying away aren’t a mystery. Trump’s new “visa integrity fee,” which forces foreign tourists to hand over $250 in addition to existing visa costs, is the latest unnecessary barrier. Add to that Trump’s tariffs, his habit of insulting foreign leaders and companies, and his Justice Department’s aggressive immigration tactics that round up anyone who looks like they might not be a U.S. citizen, and you get a simple truth: People are less likely to spend their hard-earned vacation dollars in a country whose president seems to view them with disdain.

The damage goes beyond economics. Travel is, at its heart, an act of goodwill. It is a declaration that people want to experience American culture, spend their money here and share a little of their own culture in return. When a president mocks other nations, treats allies like adversaries and slaps unnecessary taxes and fees on travelers, he poisons that spirit.

Las Vegas can’t afford that kind of poison. No U.S. city can. Tourism is one of America’s greatest exports and international visitors are among its best customers. In 2026, when the United States co-hosts the World Cup, millions of foreign fans will decide whether to spend their time and money in cities like Las Vegas. If they are greeted with insults, they will simply go elsewhere.
Trump trying to bankrupt more casinos.
 


But even as resorts take steps to fix their own mistakes, they cannot solve Las Vegas’ or the nation’s deeper tourism problem alone. The decline in international visitors, especially from Canada and Mexico, Nevada’s two largest foreign markets, has been catastrophic. No number of discounted room rates will fix it as long as the White House keeps waging war on foreign tourism.

President Donald Trump’s “America First” bluster may play well on social media, but it is hammering tourism-dependent cities like Las Vegas. Canadians, who once poured 1.49 million visitors into Nevada each year, are increasingly staying home. International visitors, who typically stay longer and spend more, are crucial to the city’s economy — and they are being driven away.

Keep in mind, it’s not just Las Vegas or even large cities generally that rely on tourism dollars. Outdoor recreation brings $8.1 billion into Nevada’s economy and employs 58,000 people in the Silver State. Much of that money goes to places like the Moapa Valley, Mesquite and Laughlin, which serve as gateways to the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Utah’s national parks and Northern Arizona’s canyon country, respectively.

The reasons international tourists are staying away aren’t a mystery. Trump’s new “visa integrity fee,” which forces foreign tourists to hand over $250 in addition to existing visa costs, is the latest unnecessary barrier. Add to that Trump’s tariffs, his habit of insulting foreign leaders and companies, and his Justice Department’s aggressive immigration tactics that round up anyone who looks like they might not be a U.S. citizen, and you get a simple truth: People are less likely to spend their hard-earned vacation dollars in a country whose president seems to view them with disdain.

The damage goes beyond economics. Travel is, at its heart, an act of goodwill. It is a declaration that people want to experience American culture, spend their money here and share a little of their own culture in return. When a president mocks other nations, treats allies like adversaries and slaps unnecessary taxes and fees on travelers, he poisons that spirit.

Las Vegas can’t afford that kind of poison. No U.S. city can. Tourism is one of America’s greatest exports and international visitors are among its best customers. In 2026, when the United States co-hosts the World Cup, millions of foreign fans will decide whether to spend their time and money in cities like Las Vegas. If they are greeted with insults, they will simply go elsewhere.
Given that Nevada voted for Trump last year, I guess they've reached the FAFO stage in their support of Dear Leader.
 


But even as resorts take steps to fix their own mistakes, they cannot solve Las Vegas’ or the nation’s deeper tourism problem alone. The decline in international visitors, especially from Canada and Mexico, Nevada’s two largest foreign markets, has been catastrophic. No number of discounted room rates will fix it as long as the White House keeps waging war on foreign tourism.

President Donald Trump’s “America First” bluster may play well on social media, but it is hammering tourism-dependent cities like Las Vegas. Canadians, who once poured 1.49 million visitors into Nevada each year, are increasingly staying home. International visitors, who typically stay longer and spend more, are crucial to the city’s economy — and they are being driven away.

Keep in mind, it’s not just Las Vegas or even large cities generally that rely on tourism dollars. Outdoor recreation brings $8.1 billion into Nevada’s economy and employs 58,000 people in the Silver State. Much of that money goes to places like the Moapa Valley, Mesquite and Laughlin, which serve as gateways to the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Utah’s national parks and Northern Arizona’s canyon country, respectively.

The reasons international tourists are staying away aren’t a mystery. Trump’s new “visa integrity fee,” which forces foreign tourists to hand over $250 in addition to existing visa costs, is the latest unnecessary barrier. Add to that Trump’s tariffs, his habit of insulting foreign leaders and companies, and his Justice Department’s aggressive immigration tactics that round up anyone who looks like they might not be a U.S. citizen, and you get a simple truth: People are less likely to spend their hard-earned vacation dollars in a country whose president seems to view them with disdain.

The damage goes beyond economics. Travel is, at its heart, an act of goodwill. It is a declaration that people want to experience American culture, spend their money here and share a little of their own culture in return. When a president mocks other nations, treats allies like adversaries and slaps unnecessary taxes and fees on travelers, he poisons that spirit.

Las Vegas can’t afford that kind of poison. No U.S. city can. Tourism is one of America’s greatest exports and international visitors are among its best customers. In 2026, when the United States co-hosts the World Cup, millions of foreign fans will decide whether to spend their time and money in cities like Las Vegas. If they are greeted with insults, they will simply go elsewhere.
Good thing they don’t have to pay taxes on tips, right?

Right.
 
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[host — what happens if Allie’s don’t make announced investments?]

Trump “Well then they pay 35%. No no they bought down their tariffs. So they paid $600 billion and because of that I reduced I reduced their tariffs from 30% down to 15%. And a couple of countries came how come EU is paying less than us? And I said well because they gave me $600 billion. And that’s a gift. That’s not like you know a loan, by the way, that’s not now loan that oh gee three years comes up we have to pay it back. There’s nothing to pay back. They gave us 600 billion dollars that we can invest in anything we want.”

[host 3] they they the deal that [Trump interrupts]

Trump: “and nobody knows it Becky nobody knows it cause they don’t know .”

[hist 3] no now e have been trying to figure out the details on that Mr. President. [something about trying to get clarity but Trump crosstalk]

Trump “Well there are no details. The details are 600 billion to invest in anything I want [he puts heavy emphasis on “I”]. Anything. I can do anything I want with it. And the purpose was that they’ve been you know ripping us for so many years that it’s time they pay up. And they have to pay up.

We couldn’t afford to have the deficits. Look I did something with Switzerland the other day. I spoke to their prime minister the woman was nice but she didn’t want to listen. And they paid essentially no tariffs and I said we’ll have a 41 BILION dollar deficit with you, madam, I didn’t know her, I said we’ll have a 41 billion dollar deficit and you want to p, you wanna pay 1% tariffs you wanted 1% and I said you’re not gonna pay 1%. We lose, cause I view deficit as loss, you know you have some people, by the way [host 3 crosstalk - pharmaceuticals are a big issue with Switzerland, I think …] well I’ll go into pharmaceuticals, they make a fortune with pharmaceuticals and they make our pharmaceuticals in China and Ireland and everything else and within the next uh week or so we’re going to be announcing tariffs on pharma specifically this is a you know this is a separate class than the 15% tariffs on sort of everything uh these are excluded classes I call’em I like to call them excluded like steel aluminum etcetera [host crosstalk right the 232] well we’ll be announcing on semiconductors and chips which is a separate category because we want them made in the United States and by the way they’re being made in the United States. You know we have [clip cuts out]”
 

'That's a lot of bottles!': Uncorking the value of American booze pulled from N(ova)S(cotia)LC shelves​



How much is the booze worth?​

The product being warehoused includes things that range in size from a 50-millilitre mini bottle of hard liquor to a three-litre bottle of wine.

The retail value was $14,896,652.

Citing security reasons, the NSLC declined to say where the American alcohol is being stored and wouldn't allow CBC to view it.

None of the products pulled was cannabis as the NSLC doesn't carry any American-grown cannabis.

...

For rum manufacturer Bacardi, it didn't want to be labelled as an American product "as our rums are a product of Puerto Rico," the company's regional director for Atlantic Canada wrote in a Feb. 26 email to some NSLC officials.

Puerto Rico is an unincorporated U.S. territory, so Bacardi's products remain available for sale through the NSLC.

...

From March 4 to July 11, sales of Nova Scotia wine increased 14.5 per cent and Nova Scotia spirit products increased 26.7 per cent, compared to the same time last year.

Canadian wine sales were up 12.9 per cent, while Canadian whisky sales increased by 9.2 per cent during the same time period.

"I think overall shoppers have been responding and looking for more local products and Canadian products," said NSLC spokesperson Terah McKinnon. "Overall, we do receive some questions [about American alcohol], but I think the numbers are showing in our sales to say they are exploring products closer to home."
 
Addressing the dumbest arguments about tariffs.

1. Tariffs are ALWAYS paid by the importer. Every time. Without fail. The importer has to pay the US Treasury the tariff before it is released from its port. That's what a tariff is. It's how they work.
2. Tariffs are typically passed on to customers. How much they are passed on is called a "pass-through rate. Remember Trump's tariffs on washing machines? The pass-through rate on Trump's 2018 washing machine tariff was between 108% and 225%. And it also raised the price of dryers, since they are usually sold as a set.
3. "Buying American" is a myth. No matter what you buy, the cost is affected by tariffs on some level. Let's say you buy American grown beef. The cattle has to eat, right? So the farmer gets silage from a corn farmer. And that corn farmer needs fertilizer, and that fertilizer probably comes from Canada. So the cost of growing the corn goes up, which causes the cost of feeding the cattle to go, which causes the cost of beef to go up.
4. Even if by some miracle, you found something 100% home-grown in every imaginable way where all the manufacturing parts are also made in America and all the aluminum and steel and raw materials for the parts were made in America (Grok said there weren't any) the prices would STILL go up because the price of all the items needed to produce it would go up because of the laws of supply and demand.
5. Countries don't pay tariffs. Can we stop this stupid-ass argument? There is no transaction between COUNTRIES. An IMPORTER (a private business) imports goods from an EXPORTER (another private business) because people in the importing country want those goods and will buy them.
6. There is a big difference between "tariffs" and "corporate taxes." For starters, not all importers are big corporations. But also corporate taxes are taxes on corporate income, not taxes on costs. If you make the taxes on COST go up you make the sell price go up.
7. Corporate taxes are PROGRESSIVE which means the more you make, the more of your income is taxed. Tariffs are REGRESSIVE, meaning the LESS you make the more of your income is taxed.
8. Taiffs are already starting to affect prices, but we haven't had the full brunt of it yet for a couple of reasons. First, most of the tariffs have only just gone through in the last 2-3 months and it takes time for the ripple effect to hit. Second, many corporations stocked up on imports ahead of the anticipated trade war (hence the negative GDP growth rate in the first quarter, as net exports is part of GDP).
9. It is not about whether tariffs are "good" or "bad." It's about whether Trump's use of them is completely fucking stupid or not. And it is. Fire is a tool, just like tariffs. But if you burn down your house to cook dinner, you're an idiot. Trump's "tariff every product on every country in the world" is like burning down the house to light a match. It's appallingly stupid.

 
Addressing the dumbest arguments about tariffs.


2. Tariffs are typically passed on to customers. How much they are passed on is called a "pass-through rate. Remember Trump's tariffs on washing machines? The pass-through rate on Trump's 2018 washing machine tariff was between 108% and 225%. And it also raised the price of dryers, since they are usually sold as a set.


For the record, this pass-through rate means something different from what you think it means. It's counter-intuitive. The 200% doesn't mean anyone's prices went up by nearly that much. It means that the cost to consumers across the entire market was much higher than the tariff revenue collected. That's because imports are only a fraction of total sales. So tariffs are collected on, say, 20% of the washers sold. Meanwhile, due to reduced competition, American manufacturers also increase their prices. Now you've got price increases over 100% of the market compared to the tariff collected on 20%.

It's still bad, but this measure creates misunderstandings. It seems to be saying that washing machine prices doubled in response to a 50% tariff but that's not what it actually means. It's a terribly misleading way of presenting the data. It's because the studies are being written for other economists who know what it means (and for various reasons, this pass-through is more relevant to economic theory), but most people are not economists.
 
For the record, this pass-through rate means something different from what you think it means. It's counter-intuitive. The 200% doesn't mean anyone's prices went up by nearly that much. It means that the cost to consumers across the entire market was much higher than the tariff revenue collected. That's because imports are only a fraction of total sales. So tariffs are collected on, say, 20% of the washers sold. Meanwhile, due to reduced competition, American manufacturers also increase their prices. Now you've got price increases over 100% of the market compared to the tariff collected on 20%.

It's still bad, but this measure creates misunderstandings. It seems to be saying that washing machine prices doubled in response to a 50% tariff but that's not what it actually means. It's a terribly misleading way of presenting the data. It's because the studies are being written for other economists who know what it means (and for various reasons, this pass-through is more relevant to economic theory), but most people are not economists.
Gotcha- that was a really helpful reframing of it for me. Thank you sir!
 
Gotcha- that was a really helpful reframing of it for me. Thank you sir!
You're welcome.

I'd like to note for the record that the effect of my clarification is to make Trump look less bad than was originally implied by that tweet. And I knew that was the effect. Sometimes conservatives think folks like me hate Trump and then retrofit a theoretical worldview to fit that judgment. That, of course, is what they do. I value truth above all, and then draw conclusions from that, even if they might make Trump look good.

I mean, let's suppose Trump did manage to create world peace. That is, he actually did what was needed as opposed to just taking credit for something that would happen anyway. Well, world peace is one of my most prized values. If Trump did that, I'd revise my view of him. He'd still be a POS but as president I'd have to give him props and I would adjust my view of his presidency. He'd go from being worst by a million light years to at least pretty good. But of course this is all hypothetical, lol.
 

The Tariff Effect: Billions in Revenue but No Economic Earthquake​

U.S. tariffs are higher than they have been in decades. Their effects have been mild.​


🎁 —> https://www.wsj.com/economy/trade/t...f?st=ThwicY&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

“… It is still early days, and much is unclear. Trump has set a Thursday deadline for many nations to reach trade deals with the U.S. or face higher tariff rates. A trade truce with China is set to expire Aug. 12, and another with Mexico expires in October.

Economists expect the higher tariffs to inflict damage by pushing inflation higher and contributing to a slowdown in economic growth. GDP rose at a 1.2% annualized pace in the first half of the year, versus 2.5% last year.

For now, neither the biggest fears nor promises are materializing. …”
 

The Tariff Effect: Billions in Revenue but No Economic Earthquake​

U.S. tariffs are higher than they have been in decades. Their effects have been mild.​


🎁 —> https://www.wsj.com/economy/trade/t...f?st=ThwicY&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

“… It is still early days, and much is unclear. Trump has set a Thursday deadline for many nations to reach trade deals with the U.S. or face higher tariff rates. A trade truce with China is set to expire Aug. 12, and another with Mexico expires in October.

Economists expect the higher tariffs to inflict damage by pushing inflation higher and contributing to a slowdown in economic growth. GDP rose at a 1.2% annualized pace in the first half of the year, versus 2.5% last year.

For now, neither the biggest fears nor promises are materializing. …”
This sounds like a resident of Pompeii describing the small white cloud that formed over Vesuvius the day before the eruption.
 
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