The Internationa Tradel Problem

Graham Greenbag

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I hear on the TV and read in the papers that the USA is imposing import tariffs and wonder how we got to this point and where it will all lead, and how it will effect our hobby too ?????

Like the majority of people (but maybe not UU members) I play instruments that have been made in China and directly or indirectly buy a lot of goods from there. I’d rather buy goods that were more locally made, but they are no longer available because the folk and companies that did make those items were forced out of business by cheaper imported goods. There are pluses and minuses to international trade but at times I wonder whether governments have been too slow in identifying and protecting skills, trades, companies and sectors within their own countries.

The question and topic is complex but what do UU members think?

Edit. Looking at the non editable header still dyslexia rules, KO.
 
Protectionism stifles the market, makes would be purchasers angry, & doesn't transfer the trade that would have gone to a foreign market to the home market.

People need to 'up their game' - not complain.

Give what the purchaser wants, not what you want to sell.
 
I don't know a lot about international trade, but are all products produced in China being taxed, or is it just certain products that the US produces that the powers who decide such things have decided that they needs protecting? If that latter is the case, are ukuleles a protected species?
 
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Protectionism stifles the market, makes would be purchasers angry, & doesn't transfer the trade that would have gone to a foreign market to the home market.

People need to 'up their game' - not complain.

Give what the purchaser wants, not what you want to sell.

Sometimes I six that it’s six off one and half a dozen of the other and at other times I think that there are several parallel points. Lots of products that are or were made in the USA and the U.K. (the respective countries of most of UU’s members) were what the customer wanted or was at least happy to purchase, now we purchase products that were U.K. or USA designed and made elsewhere or both designed and made elsewhere. We do this because each of us is price conscious and see no substantial link between our small purchase and the lack of employment for a fellow countryman. I do object to anyone selling me what they have rather than what I want, but that’s but a small part of the issue. And yes I would agree that suppliers with a captive market tend to try to sell you what they have, rather than what you want, and quality can be below what it could reasonably be.

Is protectionism really wrong or wrong really? I’m no longer so sure that it’s a completely bad thing: surely there is merit in helping your fellow countryman stay in employment and surely there is merit in ensuring that your country does not loose the capacity to make any of and all the types of items that are used within it. What is a bad thing is when goods from other countries are imported to such a large extent that good and efficient indigenous manufactioners are driven out of business. To an extent I really wonder whether trade has got out of hand and economies have become too unbalanced.

Are Uke supplies going to become difficult? I don’t know but in times past the USA made all its own Ukuleles and that produced a lot of employment.
 
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Don't live in US so my comments worth what you pay for them, but one of the things under attack is the subsidised post from China. ePacket and such. Seems to me this won't help US manufacturers cos there really aren't any in the scheme of things, but just another blow to the small trader, but will allow the big boy buying in bulk to just carry on. Political smoke blowing that harms the very people that the US is supposed to applaud, the small independent traders and entrepreneurs.
 
I went through the list, and there are a lot of things on the list, but ukuleles or musical instruments in general do not seem to be on it. So for now I guess it will be business as usual.
 
I've bought many things made in China. And always feel like I've compromised my values when I do.
 
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