[BFatts]

Tariffs don't hurt the producer as much as the consumer. But stupid politicians will tell you otherwise because they think they are smart!

[ericd]

How do you maintain wage and standard of living differentials with the rest of the world when transportation is as cheap as it currently is without a productivity gap, tariffs, or a carbon tax (increasing transportation cost) to make local manufacturing more attractive?

Besides, there are big strategic reasons to maintain a strong domestic aerospace industry, even if it increases costs in the short run.

[missedthecue]

Like Adam Smith pointed out, the ideal set-up is to maximize imports and minimize exports. This will make your nation richer over the long run.

[asciident]

Can you explain this a bit more? If there's a tariff on a component, wouldn't the buyer look for cheaper domestic replacements? So maybe a mix of both -- they pay more in the short term, but it gives domestic suppliers a better chance to win the business over the long term?

[Jonnax]

It depends on whether there's a local alternative and whether it's desirable.

The key thing is whether the product is fungible.

A Boeing part isn't going to be useful to repair an Airbus owned by a US carrier.