andrewducker: (Default)
andrewducker ([personal profile] andrewducker) wrote2018-01-23 12:10 pm

Interesting Links for 23-01-2018

danieldwilliam: (Default)

Tarriffs

[personal profile] danieldwilliam 2018-01-23 01:42 pm (UTC)(link)
Like a lot of things to do with China I'm not sure if they have accidentally over built manufacturing capacity because their statistical agencies are flawed, or are dumping as a deliberate act of policy using subsidies from the Chinese state or if they are just cheaper than the rest of world.
danieldwilliam: (Default)

Re: Tarriffs

[personal profile] danieldwilliam 2018-01-23 03:16 pm (UTC)(link)
There is certainly an argument for "I don't care if you are manipulating the price, I'll take as many solar panels as you are prepared to sell me at a loss".
danieldwilliam: (Default)

Re: Tarriffs

[personal profile] danieldwilliam 2018-01-23 03:44 pm (UTC)(link)
I recall a German solar PV factory that was almost entirely automated. It could compete on price with Chinese rivals but basically employed no one. Paid a decent amount for the IP for the super solar panels and the robots.

Perhaps there is some secret deal between the EU civil service and the US civil service to take turns imposing tarrifs on Chinese solar panels. We'll ration their exploitation so they can't establish too dominant a global position whilst milking their subsidies on a turn and turn about basis.

If so, well done to the US Department of Commerce for getting some coherent policy by Trump.

One problem for the US tariff policy is that unless Mexico is also imposing tariffs then it just becomes cheaper to make things in Mexico. This seems to be a big problem in the US. I'd chuck already doomed US coal miners under a bus so long as that bus was made in the USA and not Mexico if I were Trump.