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Missing from Tariffs Discussions [1]

['View Profile', 'Back Of Bourke', 'Greg Dworkin', 'Dan K']

Date: 2026-04-23  

Why other countries rely on Tariffs

One of the points often brought up by those defending Chump’s tariff, is that well other countries also impose tariffs! Are they tariffing their constituents? This reply is meant to bamboozle the average US citizen who has never lived outside of the US, let alone visited a small country.

Don’t know if this is an old clip it was posted today but still I’ll write some thoughts

YES. They tariff their own constituents because they want their constituents to buy local goods to keep their own economy afloat. That’s why tariffs are imposed on certain goods (those they produce) and not others (those they don’t produce). It ain’t rocket science. It is beyond ludicrous for the US to ask those countries to remove their tariffs on dairy or meat so they can flood the market in those countries and kill their economy as the Clinton did with rice in Haiti.

Whether it was when I was in Austria, Haiti or DR, goods from other countries which have local alternatives cost more. Guess what? The same is true for the US when I lived there too. And that’s the way Tariffs should work. Otherwise, you kill the local economy and local businesses. And guess what? People who can afford it still buy the goods from other countries if they like it.

Another bamboozling term: Trade deficit: The US is has one of the largest populations in the world 350 Million souls, Haiti has less than 15 millions! You cannot expect Haiti and US to have a “balance” trade. It is absolutely ridiculous. It’s like asking the mother of one child to buy as much food as the mother of 12 children.

There are already many businesses that operate out of the US even when their products are made cheaply in other countries and they are the sole providers of those items/brands. Some appliances are only made in countries like the US, France, Canada, Spain… more industrialized countries, like cars and fridges. Do you have any idea what a basic car costs in Haiti? The cheapest I could find 20 years ago was 13000$ it was a very tiny Hunday it was Blue I don’t recall the model. Refrigerators base prices cheapest models are around 400$. Don’t even get me started on phones.

The boldest lies is that countries where US gets their goods should “eat the tariffs” the US is the richest country in the world, but the little guys should “eat the tariffs” while the US “eats the profits”? really? So they should get poorer, while the US economy keeps growing and the rich US companies get even more billions? Give me an effing break.

Why am I harping on this? Because in every segment that I’ve seen since the tariffs began, I have seen no one point these things out, it’s always “the consumer pays the tariff” but not the WHY that is important when it comes to other smaller countries, or local businesses.

The US has a trade deficit because most big businesses are headquartered in the US. Because even when their goods are assembled in other countries for cheap labor, they still own those goods. The proof is that US brands are in every market around the world including franchises like KFC, Dominos, etc.., while the US itself does not sell every brand from other countries.

#TheAmericanHaitianPoet

Muriel Vieux – April 22nd, 2026 – ©All rights reserved

Paypal.me/murielvieux If you appreciate. I appreciate small donations to help me through hard times.

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/4/23/800026247/community/missing-from-tariffs-discussions/

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