(C) Daily Kos
This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered.
. . . . . . . . . .



Trump threatens Apple with 25%, EU with 50% tariffs [1]

['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']

Date: 2025-05-23

Trump has gone tariff crazy again. This time it's singling out Apple for a 25% tariff just on the iPhone. Trump wants them made in America.

The European Union Trump sees as having trade barriers to US goods and a bunch of other factors.

Here we go again with a tariffs vs. stock market roller coaster.

Trump had already made it nearly impossible for Apple to make the iPhone in China with what is now a 30% tariff. So, Apple looked into making them in India, which was nowhere near as cheap in China. Estimates for the cost, not the selling price, of making the iPhone in America would triple costs to $3,500. So, to make things worse, Trump will impose a 25% tariff on iPhone no matter where they come from. So I assume that means a total tariff on Chinese made of 55%, and 35% on ones made in India. I don't think any single company had been the subject of a tariff before. There was that t-shirt company hit with a 185% tariff.

"I long ago informed Tim Cook of Apple..."

Not informed. Threatened.

"... that I expect their iPhone's that will be sold in the United States of America..."

The possessive apostrophe on "iPhone's" is confusing, as Donald always finds a way to do. He thought it was the right way for plural.

"... will be manufactured and built in the United States, not India, or anyplace else."

The ignorant "businessman" tries to change a company's method of doing business without any regard to reality.

"If that is not the case, a Tariff of 25% must be paid by Apple to the U.S. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"

Stock market just opened and Apple stock is down 3%. Dow Jones is down 380 points. Nasdaq is down 260 points. S&P 500 is down 65 points.

All Donald can do is his third person thanking himself for being so brilliant.

Not done for the day, he decided to take on the whole European Union. 27 countries in one swell foop (sic).

Once again he repeats his imaginary origin of the EU as a way to defraud the United States through trade.

"Their powerful Trade Barriers, Vat Taxes, ridiculous Corporate Penalties, Non-Monetary Trade Barriers, Monetary Manipulations, unfair and unjustified lawsuits against American Companies, and more..."

Nobody had a problem with doing business with the European Union for 32 years. You had a problem with VAT in your first term, but nothing like this. You just put tariffs on steel and aluminum. Understand the rules, and you can do business with 27 countries all the same way. It's the VAT, Value Added Tax, that really rankles Trump. It is charged for goods and services as they move around the EU, and on imported goods, but exports outside of the EU are not. Trump sees this as an unfair trade advantage.

Non-monetary trade barriers. Read regulations. Trump hates regulations. He thinks companies should be able to sell products without safety testing or have to follow commonsensical operations.

Monetary Manipulations. China yes, EU no. He's making this one up. The Euro is too strong for Southern Countries and too weak for Germany. There are countries like Greece that have a real debt problem and the richer countries are helping out the poorer. Countries do have import/export problems, but there is no deliberate currency manipulation to create a trade barrier.

Unjustified lawsuits. The EU is way ahead of the US in dealing with internet privacy, monopolies, copyright and patent law, and many other areas. It's real simple. Follow the rules and operate freely. Break the rules and find out the hard way.

"... a Trade Deficit with the U.S. of more than $250,000,000 a year..."

He left off three zeros. I'm sure he meant billions, not millions. But, Donald is famous for not proof-reading what writes, right covfefe?

We haven't heard anything about EU trade negotiations. Donald is probably making it up because he's too lazy to do the work he's created for himself.

"Therefore I am..."

As lord and master of the United States without authority or Congessional approval.

"... recommending a straight 50% Tariff on the European Union, starting June 1, 2025."

What ever happened to the 90 day grace period? They've got one week to make sense of this. This is going to throw markets in a tailspin. As I write this, they're recovering from the opening. Apple is still down and fluctuating.

And still another third person sign-off congratulating himself for being so brilliant with:

"Thank you for your attention to this matter!"

We wish you weren't paying attention to it and leave the world alone from your tariffs, and especially the poor people in the United States that can't afford your undisguised taxes.

You're rooting for the destruction of the economy with your "big, beautiful bill" that will disproportionately hit the poor, throw millions off of Health care and reduce Medicare to go along with Medicad and SNAP reductions. What more can you do to take money out of people's wallets and let them die?

Only Donald thinks he doing the right thing. Or maybe he really is just evil and this is the way to punish the American people for not having voted for him in 2020.

Makes more sense than anything else.

[END]
---
[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/5/23/2323948/-Trump-threatens-Apple-with-25-EU-with-50-tariffs?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=more_community&pm_medium=web

Published and (C) by Daily Kos
Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified.

via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds:
gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/