More difficulty buying recreational products seems like a first world problem. If you work 5 days a week, 50 weeks a year that’s 250 days a year, so skipping that $5 coffee everyday you’ve recovered $1250 of that $2000, and you can buy that paddle board or SOT kayak.
1 Like
…and you can support your country.
1 Like
Pretty hard for Canada to have an equal trade balance to USA when the population in Canada is approx. 1/10 that of the USA. Each Canadian would have to consume 10 times more per capita then the USA for it to balance out. Each Canadian paddler would need to have a personal fleet of paddle craft
Lets just eliminate the asymmetrical, predatory Canadien Tariffs and see what happens. The United Staes also has to loosen up its timber resources and energy resources so they can actually be used so fewer imports are necessary. A lot of this was done because politicians were bribed to do so. That is going to come to an end, very quickly.
What did you get? The durability of their T-formex material looks appealing to me.
I need to get a canoe for fishing with my son, but I can’t decide between a long composite family tripper or a wider, square stern. I would really like the former, something like a Northstar Northwind, but my family is losing the camping bug. Something like a Esquif Cargo would be better for fishing, but I know I won’t be paddling much in it.
I am motivated to buy now before everyone raises prices.
1 Like
Canada … or Liechtenstein or the Falkland Islands or wherever. It’s fantasy.
What we’re seeing now is “reality” TV. It’s about headlines, sound bites and showmanship. What the big bankers and Wall St. titans say is one thing, but when real people sit down to balance their household budgets, they’ll decide whether paying higher prices and having fewer choices in the marketplace has delivered compensatory benefits. That’s reality.
There is no fantasy about nations having asymmetrical tariffs causing a Trade Deficit with the United States. There Tariffs are already in place and have been for decades. But when Trump imposes reciprocal Tariffs he is starting a trade war and causing people’s cost of living to go up. This is what has to be done to get these countries to the bargaining table and there are reports that 50 countries have done so. That is reality.
Edit: This is a wholly accurate, factual statement and will not be altered. If you are afraid of open debate, flag it again. Censorship is a form of Tyranny.
Incomes will drop and cost of living expenses will increase by 25% for Americans. With so many rubes supporting the Republicans it is what it is.
My wife and I have zero debt and buy everything for cash. If we cannot afford to pay cash then we do not buy it. I have operated this way my entire adult life.
I have seen plastic kayak prices jump whenever the price for a barrel of oil increased with the speculation of Wall Street traders that have increased prices by 40-50 percent over the past 30 years.
I do view a kayak that I am going to use for 10 years in a different light and also consider that the resale value when use is going to be about 50%.
There is no longer the Hobie monopoly on pedal drive kayaks and hard side ones can be bought new for less than half the price of a new Hobie kayak. There are also excellentt inflatable kayaks from Saturn and Sea Eagle that save their owners on needing to buy roof racks and boat trailers (and have room to store them).
In the 1980’s the consumers were having to pay for the Vietnam War and in 2008 we were paying for the bailout of the banksters and now we are paying for the tax cuts for the billionaires. That is simply how capitalism works in the real world.
1 Like
The impact of the tariffs is hard to predict like most economic trends. However, these two statements don’t seem to match. The first appears believable and possible; the second seems hyperbolic; unless you’re talking over years and not in the short term.
1 Like
If this deficit is not fixed, the consequences will be far worse.
1 Like
He is talking in circles like a robot, just like he was trained to do, Democrats good, Republicans bad without even mentioning the Trillion Dollar a year money laundering scheme the Democrats have been running for years through NGOs.
1 Like
The price of oil is not the only determinative factor. It depends on how many times it is shipped across borders. Where it originates, where it is refined, where it is made into plastics, where it is then shipped to be made into a product, and whether the product is then shipped again to be incorporated into a final saleable product all may accumulate additional tariffs.
Thus is the story of global supply lines. To move all of the separate steps into the US will take many years and most companies will not invest the billions of dollars into this on the basis of an erratic lame duck president.
3 Likes
The companies that actually make the kayak hulls have a single input, the cost of the plastic which in turn is dependent on the price for oil. Over the past 40 years this has been the case with all the boat makers of crafts of any size that used plastic or fiberglass in the boat’s construction.
The vast majority of solid hull boats are made in the USA as the cost to ship them is very high and the shipping would include a great deal of air.
I picked up an Adirondack. My first Canoe! Just wanted something that would fit on top of my sedan and I can take for a couple of days camping trips. Plus very easy to take out for a day paddle. Did my first little trip a few days ago and I’m already hooked!
4 Likes
Congrats. Looks like a great choice for a versatile first canoe.
“Erratic”…I wonder what adjective you would use to describe Joe Biden. You know, the man responsible for over two million people being killed and a country destroyed in the Ukraine region, amongst other notable accomplishments.
1 Like
I see yet another thread here which is an extremely good question but those who oversee and dislike the answers will object to said answers and scream it’s political. Well folks, tax and tariff IS POLITICAL! Nothing is more political!!!
And it’s just fine to have such discussions with anyone that doesn’t hate open exchange but those who are wrong and KNOW IT, will want to see this censored. If they were right they would want to have the decision to show where and how they were right.
That’s both the core of the question and the core of the answer, so do not be surprised if it’s censored because these are the threads that make some people go into a rage, despite the fact the question is excellent. Such folks simply do not ever want to have to face facts or truth. But here goes…
Most American have “instant mindset”. They don’t pay attention to creeping effects but do expect instant solutions. That shows a gross disconnect in understanding the link between cause and effects
I just bough 2 imported kayaks and yes, I ended up paying more then the initial price quoted, but having seen this coming I did my transactions in a way to minimize the amount I’d get charged in tax. It hurts a little. (well — a little more then a little, but it didn’t cripple me) They should be here at my home in 4 days.
But as of tomorrow the tax (Tariffs) goes up on the imported kayaks 20% more. The kayaks came from Poland and through Canada, but what I paid (in full) is about $2,800 less then what I’d pay tomorrow. Yes Tomorrow, April 9th, the cost goes up to the full tax rate. So knowing I had the ability to buy what I wanted now, and knowing that the trade war was either going to be stopped by parts of the EU (hopefully all of the EU) and also all of Canada, or they are are going to have other countries step into those places and do the supplying of the demands of the USA was influential in my decision to buy when I did, and pay how I did.
In the world of kayaks and canoes, the actual manufacturers are mostly in the EU, GB and Canada and I do not see enough demand in the USA to have any quick industry pop ups, to replace those kayak and canoe manufacturers. Even those made in Sri Lanka and South Africa are imported from European companies, so some very high quality kayaks are made outside Europe, GB and Canada, but as far as I know, none are not owned by British, European or Canadian companies. An overview and quick explanation of the issue follows below
America’s economy has been getting eaten out from the inside for a very long time. The jurisdictional nexus formed by the Social Security Administration (Selling pedigrees of future tax payers to the international banking system) pre-dates the Second World War and the foundations used to build that platform on pre-date the 1st world war. That’s over 100 years. So returning the country to a sound economic foundation for the benefit of the people, instead of the international bankers is NOT going to happen in 3 months. And yes, it’s going to hurt for a while. (yes— it did hurt me some)
In kayaks and canoes, and in everything else not made in the USA, as well as many things made in the USA which are made with raw materials that are imported.
In simple math, the total fix will take between 7 and 9 years. Trump has only 3-3/4 years to manage it himself which is only 1/2 of the time it will take and the socialist/communist will spout off continually saying “see, it’s not working. It hurting us, not helping us”.
And because of that “instant mindset” a LOT of Americans who don’t know anything about history and law, or economics will buy into that argument. It’s now a race against time and for fast effects.
Who ever replaces Trump will have to continue in his plan or that plan will fail. So he needs to show the people of the USA a net gain in their ability to buy things with the money they have and the best way he sees to do that is to cut the cost of everything by reducing or the elimination certain taxes.
Maintaining High tariffs with the whole world for a long period would destroy the US economy. That’s a fact.
But as we see, many other nations who under communist leadership for many years, (many decades in some cases) are already coming to the table and lowering their tariffs to zero. Those countries see a golden opportunity here. To have truly free trade with the largest economy on earth, (the USA) and to replace the other economies who up to now they had to compete with, they need only make what China and the EU do, but not have to deal with tax that in many cases is between 1/2 to 150% of the cost of the actual products. So if a lot of countries drop their tariffs to zero and step into the place of China, the EU, Great Britain and Canada as those with “favored trade status” they can grow their economies at the expense of much of the EU, China, India, and so on. Trump knows this as much as the leaders of the smaller economies who want to gain access in far larger ways to US buying power.
Trump is gambling on a set of facts, and I am hoping he is proven to be correct. Well, he IS correct mathematically , but he may not be able to effect all his wishes if the smaller nations and independent countries do not all drop their tariffs to zero fast enough to act as the replacement to the EU and China. A short term plan here is still a 2 year plan. A long term plan is 10 years. American will want to see good results in 1 year or less because they believe liars in the mainstream media as a rule. (look into who actually owns nearly all the “news” outlets on earth and over 94 % of them in the USA to understand this.
So far it’s going well, but this policy is VERY young so we are all in the same boat now.
But if (as an example) you could buy a Chinese made shirt 6 months ago for $25 and today it’s $45- $50 dollars, but a Philippine made or Vietnamese shirt of same or better quality is $16 dollars you can still get a good shirt and get it for even less then you could last January. The reason is zero tariff between the USA and Vietnam. A HUGE chunk of what you pay for MOST of your imports IS TAX!. Not a sliver, a HUGE CHUNK! In many cases (you’d be shocked and angry if you see how many) you’ll find over 75% of what you pay is tax.
Follow the price from the well to your gas tank and see how much of the cost of your gasoline is actually gas and how much is tax. Eliminate those taxes, or at least cut them by a very large percentage, and your products drop dramatically in cost.
If Trump can actually replace Income Tax with tariffs (I am hopeful but slightly doubtful) the simple math is the effect of a 27%- 33% increases in everyone wadges. If the cost of products over-all were to rise 33% the effect’s of such a move are zero, so we’d gain nothing. But if the cost of living drops due to honest competition from a low-tax or tax free market trade, AND your income tax drops, the overall standard of living jump up dramatically.
In short, if the economy was at a level now where my earnings were up 33% (for lack of withholding) and the cost of most things was down let’s say 20%----- it means my buying power is up 53% overall. In such an economy, if a $3500 to $4500 kayaks then cost $6000-$6400 I could easily afford it.
The common law definition of money is “stored labor”. If I am storing 53% more value for my labor and I had to pay 1/3 more for some items, it will still take fewer man hours to afford that item then it does now by an additional 20%
But like removing an infected splinter for a 4 year boys hand, it HURTS as you do the removal. Yes indeed , it does.
And childish, whiny, screaming boy will sound off how you are not helping him, but only hurting him. And the most stupid will hold a grunge and keep screaming, years after the splinter is gone and the hand healed up good as new, and tell everyone for the rest of his life how his dad hurt him.
Just like the die-hard socialist and communist will.
1 Like
I have never flagged any post on this site.
Apology accepted.
The fact remains that someone did, quite unjustly in my humble opinion and arbitrary. My remarks were directed at who did. If it was not you, then they were not directed at you and there was no insinuation that it was. Victimhood is not an intellectual enterprise.
Pigeon chess.