Japanese Tarrifs

[Snate]

What Japan is basically doing is a subsidy for their domestic companies. Using taxpayer money to stack the deck if favor of their companies. Now normally tariffs are not a good thing. Fair competition breeds innovation and improvement. If the japanese never came here in the first place, who knows what kind of crappy cars we'd still be making. Of course what Japan is doing to help its companies isn't exactly "fair" competition...so the use of some sort of tax or tariff seems like common sense to me.

[CaddyXLR-V]

Japan doesnt exactly have tons of free land lying about...

besides it isnt 1985 anymore, taxing japan only would be completely unfair and ultimately would not have the impact you guys want.

[post="32356"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Is it fair for our cars to be taxed there? We only need a tax to make things fair. Then, when they decide they will play fair, we can drop our tax as well.

[razoredge]

Its better to make Japanese companies build cars here (at least the jobs are here) than build them over in Japan. Another good part is it would provide for a little extra revenue for the Gov't in the short term, which would be rolled over to American Car maufacturers

[post="32503"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

No way ! The cars should'nt even be allowed in the country. There was once import tariffs. then they were allowed to build some cars in this country, its been downhill since. Even if Japan did allow product in their country, their citizens would be smart enough and proud enough not to stab their neighbors in the back.

[balthazar]

Stop living in a dream world. It ain't gonna happen. The new TUNDRA and SEQUOIA are going to be built in Bush's home state. You really think he will be stupid enough to impose tariff on Texas built TUNDRAS ? I dont think so.

I didn't say it was going to happen, Jack. But that doesn't mean I and others don't think it should. And as for Bush, long-range deep thought has never been his strong suit. Did you actually think he gives a flying F about blue collar workers who happen to live in the same gigantic state he does???

Its better to make Japanese companies build cars here (at least the jobs are here) than build them over in Japan.

Disagree. Tax the hell out of all japanese nameplates, 25% across the board. toyota makes 75% of their global profit out of American's pockets, they'll not soon abandon production or plants. toyota has so much cash in shoeboxes they could afford to lower their MSRPs to pre-25% levels and continue on in their merry steamroller ways. Should I care if their profits are lowered? Should anyone outside the company executive level?

[andy82471]

Disagree. Tax the hell out of all japanese nameplates, 25% across the board. toyota makes 75% of their global profit out of American's pockets, they'll not soon abandon production or plants. toyota has so much cash in shoeboxes they could afford to lower their MSRPs to pre-25% levels and continue on in their merry steamroller ways. Should I care if their profits are lowered? Should anyone outside the company executive level?

[post="32653"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Look, I understand your frustration but your solution is extremely unrealistic and unlikely to happen. Neither the Democrats nor the Republicans are likely to embrace your solution. Maybe you can start a third party called the People's Party or something like that and run on a Pro Domestic platform. I am sure there are people who will embrace your solution. Until that happens let us be realistic. The only way GM can recover from their downward spiral is to (a) reign in legacy costs (B) build cars that will actually sell close to MSRP and not at Employee Discount. The Solastice and the Corvette are good examples that GM can do it right sometimes. Now that success has to spread towards the bread and butter sedan aka the mid size and full size cars. This an area where GM until recently had pretty much conceded to the Asians. They put all their faith in light trucks and SUVs. With gas prices hovering around $2.75 a gallon that is one market that will not be growing hence GMs huge drop in market share. Maybe GM has seen the light of day and start concentrating more on compact, mid and full size cars rather than BOF trucks and SUVs. If they want to be successful in selling cars their cars will have to be like GMT 900 aka great interior combined with class leading powertrain and fuel efficiency.

Can we petition the moderators for a spell checkers. Cmon guys we really one.

[Member55]

I grew up in a communist country and even over there there wes no tax on vehicles made in the factories owned by foreign manufacturers.

[razoredge]

"Look, I understand your frustration" "Until that happens let us be realistic" "grew up in a communist country and even over there there wes no tax on vehicles made in the factories owned by foreign manufacturers." bla bla bla ba bla bla bla Look some of us were born in this country and damn proud of it. We also know what it took to build this country because we are part of that same framework that did once make America great. Dirt, sweat, blood and bones. We have a government, and as proven here, a vast population that could care less about the welfare of the other half of the American population. So instead of just spittin out a bunch yada yada spew, what dont you just say you could care less about the rest of America so long as your sector isnt violated ? What a bunch of spineless sheep I believe you gotta stand for something or you'll fall for anything. Its very apparent to me that many just swallowed it whole. Globalize this !

[balthazar]

andy82471: >>"Look, I understand your frustration but your solution is extremely unrealistic and unlikely to happen."<<

No kidding. But you see, I'm not a politician or international mediator. Thusly I can spend time tossing out ideas I'd like to see happen without the accountability of wasting taxpayers time. Please stop telling me it won't happen and I'll stop telling you it should.

>>"...GM... put all their faith in light trucks and SUVs. With gas prices hovering around $2.75 a gallon that is one market that will not be growing..."<<

Let's see a little acknowledgement for General Motor's foresight that the truck & SUV market would grow from maybe 15% to 54% of the new car market, and applaude them for concentrating on an explosive segment while the japanese twiddled their thumbs and handed the bulk of a 8 million annual unit truck market over to the domestics. At the same time, I'd enjoy reading a little criticism of the japanese for failing (yet again) to see the booming truck segment and waiting until after the peak to offer a smattering of non-class leading efforts. At this point many japanese companies are pouring billions into their truck SUV lines & factories while GM has already turned towards their car lines. Hm-mmm...

[mightymouse]

The people that don't understand, and continue to buy imports, don't believe they are ruining the country...They really believe everything is fine! It's not their fault they don't understand a global economy- Therefore, it is only logical to punish them monetarily, such that the remaining industries here in OUR country stay intact. Otherwise, if domestic manufacturers fail completely, we ALL will be picking though dumpsters looking for scraps to knaw on, not just autoworkers. The money spent by auto workers trickles down to every commodity there is. At this fork in the road, your'e either with the USA, or you're not. There is no F'N middle ground. If you spend your money on imports, WE ALL lose. Therefore, the goverment will, in the future, divert your money for you to avoid a national disaster...just in case you don't know how to spend it properly. See? On the bright side, there is hope for all of us! :)

[The O.C.]

If the Japanese have this supposed advantage due to Japan's manipulation of the Yen, then how come everyone is always promoting the fact that GM is the one with the value advantage...????? Seems contradictory to me..... For example.....Chevy's proud of the fact that a Malibu V6 with more equipment can be had for less than a Camry L4.... It seems to ME that in many cases, if you equip competitive domestic and import cars with similar equipment....it's the DOMESTIC car that comes out LESS EXPENSIVE....and usually has bigger incentives on it to boot.... Another example.....loaded LaCrosse CXS for about $33K.....loaded Toyota Avalon Limited.....about $37K.....?

[razoredge]

I thought GM was selling at a loss due to the fact that they have American employees living in America at the American standard of living?

[pow]

Another example.....loaded LaCrosse CXS for about $33K.....loaded Toyota Avalon Limited.....about $37K.....?

[post="32874"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

(The LaCrosse is hardly an Avalon competitor. Maybe the Lucerne V8, instead.)

[The O.C.]

(The LaCrosse is hardly an Avalon competitor. Maybe the Lucerne V8, instead.)

[post="32881"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Well, at $33K, it's certainly not a Camry competitor....

I can give TONS more examples.....

Solstice is around $1,500 LESS than a comparably-equipped Miata.....

Look at Ford's pricing strategy for Fusion and 500 versus similar Asians....

Tacoma and Frontier priced considerably higher than a comparably-equipped Colorado....

I'm not defending the Yen....I'm just sayin'.....with the Big 3's incentives, factored on top of their more-than-competitive MSRPs, sometimes I don't think the Japanese have as big of a pricing advantage as everyone makes out.

[Member55]

I thought GM was selling at a loss due to the fact that they have American employees living in America at the American standard of living?

[post="32879"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

If Toyota can make cars in the US and make a profit on them that GM should be able to to the same. If they can't then it's their own(and their workers) fault and they should be making something else. This is free economy, nobody has god given right to survive.

[Fiero88]

If Toyota can make cars in the US and make a profit on them that GM should be able to to the same. If they can't then it's their own(and their workers) fault and they should be making something else. This is free economy, nobody has god given right to survive.

[post="33032"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

members you definately have a point there.... I will take all the years I have paid into the system and just cash them in and move on over to where ever if I could. Woa... nope they won't let me... see if'n I was a mexican or a chinaman I could come in here and work on a green card and take your job and buy land in america an all but I can't seem to do the same as an american da#n south of the border country won't let me buy any land down their unless I marry into their bloood... and China country is just to expensive to fly to now that diesel has got so high. So I guess your one who is stuck with the likes of me a poor laborer who has had his pension and healthcare stolen from him by god who said I now longer deserved what I had earned. no problem the feds will continue giving me a little and pony'n up the cost for my medical if'n the medical establishment can't pawn the cost off on some one else's health plan...... God man he has given me the right to survie thank you mr taxpyer for lookin' out for us poor down trodden wannabes....