(01-08-2026, 02:18 PM)RazorV66 Wrote: It's ok Carp, you can say you don't know a damn thing about trade deficits.

Actually, I studied Economics at University.  You?

(01-08-2026, 02:10 PM)Oldcarpy2 Wrote: No thanks.

You still don't understand tariffs or trade deficits.

That's OK.  Neither does Trump.

And yet all you bring to the discussion are 3 sentences, well, that and yesterday's soiled knickers.

At least I occasionally try and show you exactly where Im coming from. You might not like it, but it's working in our industry and region....for the moment

All Trump's other stuff is a distant second

(01-08-2026, 02:26 PM)putnam6 Wrote: And yet all you bring to the discussion are 3 sentences, well, that and yesterday's soiled knickers.

At least I occasionally try and show you exactly where Im coming from. You might not like it, but it's working in our industry and region....for the moment

All Trump's other stuff is a distant second

"Soiled knickers"?

How charming.

Back to Grok with you.

(01-08-2026, 02:25 PM)Oldcarpy2 Wrote: Actually, I studied Economics at University.  You?

Prove it, school us.

(01-08-2026, 02:33 PM)RazorV66 Wrote: Prove it, school us.

No.

You believe anything your cognitive bias confirms.  No point in trying to educate you otherwise.

Do your own research.  I'm not going to spoon feed you.

(01-08-2026, 02:42 PM)Oldcarpy2 Wrote: No.

You believe anything your cognitive bias confirms.  No point in trying to educate you otherwise.

Do your own research.  I'm not going to spoon feed you.

I get such a kick out of people like you. 
"You need to get educated"
"Okay. Educate me"
"No. Do your own research. I'm not going to educate you."

You complain about cognitive bias, but then tell people to do their own research, and you probably don't understand the comedy in that do you?

(01-08-2026, 02:57 PM)MrGashler77 Wrote: I get such a kick out of people like you. 
"You need to get educated"
"Okay. Educate me"
"No. Do your own research. I'm not going to educate you."

You complain about cognitive bias, but then tell people to do their own research, and you probably don't understand the comedy in that do you?

AI, so beloved of the OP says:

"Trade deficits are neither inherently good nor bad; their impact depends on the underlying economic conditions, potentially signaling strong demand and investment (good) or declining competitiveness and excessive borrowing (bad). A deficit means a country imports more than it exports, often funded by foreign investment, offering consumers more goods but potentially harming domestic industries if it reflects structural issues like low productivity or unsustainable spending. "

Your wisdom is?

(01-08-2026, 02:57 PM)MrGashler77 Wrote: I get such a kick out of people like you. 
"You need to get educated"
"Okay. Educate me"
"No. Do your own research. I'm not going to educate you."

You complain about cognitive bias, but then tell people to do their own research, and you probably don't understand the comedy in that do you?

Your quotes are innacurate.

(01-08-2026, 03:10 PM)Oldcarpy2 Wrote: AI, so beloved of the OP says:

"Trade deficits are neither inherently good nor bad; their impact depends on the underlying economic conditions, potentially signaling strong demand and investment (good) or declining competitiveness and excessive borrowing (bad). A deficit means a country imports more than it exports, often funded by foreign investment, offering consumers more goods but potentially harming domestic industries if it reflects structural issues like low productivity or unsustainable spending. "

Your wisdom is?

This is exactly what happened in our industry. As our industry grew early 2000s, an overwhelming number of Chinese knockoffs flooded the market—not just a few, but loads of them. The industry had to establish a non-profit organization and raise capital to persuade Washington, D.C., to urge China to, pardon the pun, "knock it off." It took over a decade to finally get them to shut down the knock-off websites that directly targeted consumers and used foreign companies' intellectual property. A retail customer might see the same photograph that the legitimate company uses, but the knockoff product sent to the consumer doesn't resemble the original at all.

We sell top-shelf product. One of our top sellers in one season lost 1,238 units to fraudulent websites, which was approximately $370,000 in wholesale business lost on one design. This company had over 107 designs on just one knock-off website there were dozens of these sites

The numbers are staggering, and it's not just our sector 

Chinese wholesalers still compete with wholesale and retail sites, but they don't steal designs and images as prolifically.

And now, finally, due to Trump's terrible tariffs, American firms can sell retail products in China, and one of our long-time suppliers is opening a retail outlet; the firm is thinking of partnering and selling our brand there as well.

Huge untapped market, and the added cost is minimal

wanted to add 

We will always have a trade deficit with China, BUT we should always look for sectors to decrease the deficit

(01-08-2026, 05:04 PM)putnam6 Wrote: This is exactly what happened in our industry. As our industry grew early 2000s, an overwhelming number of Chinese knockoffs flooded the market—not just a few, but loads of them. The industry had to establish a non-profit organization and raise capital to persuade Washington, D.C., to urge China to, pardon the pun, "knock it off." It took over a decade to finally get them to shut down the knock-off websites that directly targeted consumers and used foreign companies' intellectual property. A retail customer might see the same photograph that the legitimate company uses, but the knockoff product sent to the consumer doesn't resemble the original at all.

We sell top-shelf product. One of our top sellers in one season lost 1,238 units to fraudulent websites, which was approximately $370,000 in wholesale business lost on one design. This company had over 107 designs on just one knock-off website there were dozens of these sites

The numbers are staggering, and it's not just our sector 

Chinese wholesalers still compete, but they don't do exact knockoffs as much,

Is your "industry" selling soiled knickers?