back to article Not even Nvidia's Jensen Huang can talk President Tariffs out of chip import taxes

US President Donald Trump loves his tariffs and it seems that not even a meeting with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang could persuade him to change course. "Eventually we're going to put tariffs on chips. We're going to put tariffs on oil and gas. That'll happen fairly soon. I think around the 18th of February," the President told the …

  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    ALL RISE

    For the five minutes of hate. Citizens are reminded that participation is compulsory.

    1. Groo The Wanderer - A Canuck

      Re: ALL RISE

      Yeah, except this year's "Big Brother" is the one hated...

    2. Wang Cores

      Re: ALL RISE

      Your daddy is home. Eat the bugloaf.

  2. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

    A modest proposal

    Build the data centers somewhere with lots and lots of cheap environmentally friendly Hydro power, in the same time zone as Silicon Valley and with no import duties and a trans-pacific trade deal.

    As a bonus any of your staff that are trans, or pacific, don't need to fear a 4am knock on the door

  3. Neil Barnes Silver badge

    Does Trump really think

    That banning products not made in the USA will cause them to be made there _immediately_?

    1. Richard 12 Silver badge

      Re: Does Trump really think

      Technically no, as he doesn't really think.

      The people around him are using this to their personal advantage. Musk's coup should be shocking for example, but is being hidden under the deluge.

      1. Tilda Rice

        Re: Does Trump really think

        Musks Coup was needed.

        https://www.rferl.org/a/trump-usaid-ngos-ukraine-afghanistan-musk/33301423.html

        Even this lady thinks so:

        "At the same time, some representatives of Ukrainian civil society support an audit, including Olena Trehub, executive director of the Independent Anti-Corruption Commission and a member of the Anti-Corruption Council at the Defense Ministry.

        On February 2, Trehub wrote on Facebook that she had "always emphasized the need to reform USAID, as, by monitoring the effectiveness of projects, she saw how enormous budgets pass through this government agency and how often the results leave much to be desired.""

        USAID will be rolled into the state department. So nobody needs to wet their pants. Apart from the wronguns being weeded out.

    2. abend0c4 Silver badge

      Re: Does Trump really think

      He's focusing on manufactured goods and minerals because he sees manual workers as a valuable constituency - and there has been a significant loss of manual jobs. Even if manufacturing could be instantly restored to the US, most of those manual jobs aren't coming back: they'll be done by machines (unless Americans are prepared to pay very much higher prices).

      None of it makes economic sense, none of it is logical. But he's wealthy and he's 78. He's had two moments in the sun. Goals achieved, consequences be damned.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Does Trump really think

        "He's focusing on manufactured goods and minerals because ..."

        Corrupt individuals are interested in obtaining rents from natural resources.

        Commodities and corruption – How the middle class and democratic institutions lead to less corruption in resource-rich countries

        And you wondered why there has been this decades long war against the middle class and democratic institutions?

      2. Flocke Kroes Silver badge

        Re: unless Americans are prepared to pay very much higher prices

        The other option is dirt cheap manual labor. In order to send convicts to work in the mines you need mines - and convicts. Instead of shipping native born former Americans to another country the crime of contradicting the president can be punished with a stay at the combined Trump University re-education facility and coal mine.

        1. Groo The Wanderer - A Canuck

          Re: unless Americans are prepared to pay very much higher prices

          Oh, make it complete, FFS - The "Church" of Scientology will be providing weekly services to the inmates....

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: unless Americans are prepared to pay very much higher prices

            The very definition of Cruel and Unusual Punishment...

      3. UnknownUnknown

        Re: Does Trump really think

        “Significant loss of manual jobs” … caused by Corporate America for 50+ offshoring and outsourcing driven by morally bankrupt boards and bean counters ??

        How many of the 600m iPad’s and 2.4bn iPhones in total that have been made in the USA. Ever.

        A big fat Zero…. Despite Tim ‘supply chain’ Cooke’s presence on the corporate ass-licking inauguration VIP seats.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Tariffs make him win every time

    The Very Stable Genius wins every time when he wields the Tariff weapon. Colombia, Canada, Mexico all folded and started doing nothing meaningful to have no effect on the USA.

    With tariffs on silicon chips, he may finally make a huge difference, killing off what remains of tech manufacturing in the US. Unless he stops it again after some meaningless concession.

    Meanwhile, outside of the limelight everything of value in the USA will be shredded and sold for scrap value.

    Back to the 19th century where robber barons still ruled unimpeded!

    Note that China cs are living in the 21th century and do have a working industry.

    1. Flocke Kroes Silver badge

      Re: Tariffs make him win every time

      Huang clearly does not know how to talk to Trump. The first words should be "Here, take $100M in nVidia shares". When you have his attention mention how much more valuable those shares would be with certain exemptions to the tariffs.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Tariffs make him win every time

        Not directly give it to the Very Stable Genius.

        The Saudis understood this:

        Jared Kushner defends his equity firm getting $2 billion from Saudis after he left White House

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Tariffs make him win every time

      LCBO (Liquor Control Board of Ontario) stopped selling American alcohol - thats $1billion per year just from that one province.

      Travel and Tourism accounts for 10% of American GDP - a large chunk (~30%) of it from Canadians (and another 22% from Mexico) who would now rather not go to a country that threatened them. Just announcing the tariffs then cancelling them could hit the American economy by as much as 2-3% in 2025 - a similar hit to that of the Credit Crunch (4.3% over 2 years).

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Tariffs make him win every time

        >LCBO (Liquor Control Board of Ontario) stopped selling American alcohol - thats $1billion per year just from that one province.

        They've reversed that now and US liquor is going back on the shelves - I'm waiting with interest to see how many Canadians actually just shrug and start buying it again...

        1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

          Re: Tariffs make him win every time

          Now that the wise and benevolent great leader has rescued us from the evil Trudeau's woke liberal tariffs - everyone in Canada is rushing out to buy cybertrucks.

  5. Dan 55 Silver badge
    Devil

    Regularly bouncing the stock market

    Someone's making a killing with shorts...

    1. Doctor Syntax Silver badge

      Re: Regularly bouncing the stock market

      The Underpants Gnomes?

  6. AVR Bronze badge
    Angel

    Tariffs put him in the spotlight - even if he withdraws them before they start pumping up inflation - and there is nothing more important to Trump than being in the spotlight and talked about. Though I suppose he's going to leave some tariffs on somewhere to look tough to his supporters I doubt it'll be on semiconductors, more likely it'll be somewhere with less visible inflation effects.

    1. Flocke Kroes Silver badge

      The simpler way to get talked about continuously is to investigate the funding of non state-controlled media until only state controlled media remain. All the news will be about Trump and none of it will be bad news. The meaning of supporter will change. Perhaps you meant voter. Voting is now restricted to people with money. Votes are cast by buying adverts on state run social media. Voting will be compulsory.

    2. MiguelC Silver badge

      Re: I suppose he's going to leave some tariffs on somewhere

      Poor Elbonia...

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    DOGE efficiency

    From The Onion

    America’s Finest News Source

    Elon Musk Offers Self $10 Billion Federal Buyout

  8. Pascal Monett Silver badge

    "without proper legislative review"

    Welcome to the new order.

  9. Ian Johnston Silver badge

    One does not "talk" Donald Trump into doing anything. The word is bribe".

  10. ChodeMonkey Bronze badge
    Thumb Down

    How are those job promises President Trump made during his 1.0 term going ... ?

    1. Carrier (Indianapolis, Indiana)

    Promise: In December 2016, before taking office, Trump announced he had struck a deal with Carrier to prevent 1,100 jobs from moving to Mexico.

    Outcome: While Carrier did keep some jobs in Indiana, about 600 jobs were still eliminated, and the company later shifted more work overseas.

    2. Foxconn (Wisconsin)

    Promise: In 2017, Trump announced that Foxconn, the Taiwanese tech giant, would build a massive $10 billion factory in Wisconsin, creating 13,000 jobs.

    Outcome: The project failed to meet expectations. By 2021, Foxconn had scaled down its plans, creating only 1,454 jobs instead of the promised 13,000.

    3. Ford (Michigan)

    Promise: Trump claimed credit for Ford canceling a new plant in Mexico and instead investing in Michigan.

    Outcome: While Ford did expand in the U.S., it later cut thousands of jobs and continued outsourcing production to Mexico and China.

    4. General Motors (GM) (Lordstown, Ohio)

    Promise: Trump told workers at the GM plant in Lordstown, Ohio, "Don’t move. Don’t sell your house" in 2017, implying he would save their jobs.

    Outcome: The plant closed in 2019, eliminating 1,600 jobs, and was later sold to an electric vehicle startup, which itself struggled.

    5. Harley-Davidson

    Promise: Trump repeatedly praised Harley-Davidson as an American manufacturing icon and criticized the company for considering overseas moves.

    Outcome: Harley-Davidson moved some production to Thailand in response to tariffs imposed during Trump’s trade war with the EU.

    6. US Steel

    Promise: Trump frequently claimed that his tariffs on foreign steel would lead to a resurgence in U.S. steel jobs.

    Outcome: While there were some initial investments, by 2020, U.S. Steel laid off hundreds of workers and idled plants due to declining demand.

    Hmm.

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