[hedora]

For reference, the base price/square foot of new construction increased 20% when Trump introduced these tariffs.

He also tariffed Chinese concrete at the same time.

The reason it went up so much is (like any other business), contractors and manufacturers need to preserve their profit margins, multiplying the impact of the tariffs for new home builders.

It also allowed domestic producers to hike their prices (which they did). Also, the tariffs caused many substitutions of slightly more expensive (but now cheaper) materials, leading to bizarre shortages and more price hikes.

Then, covid hit and now this. It’s a complete disaster.

Is the department of commerce actively trying to get Trump back in in 2024, or do they just like inflation, homelessness and high interest rates?

[imtringued]

Yeah, it really is weird, there is nothing wrong with demand increasing and everyone starting to build housing, however there is something very wrong about making it harder to build houses than absolutely necessary.

Those tariffs made sense in 2018 but they don't make sense in 2021. Everyone considers USA an export destination where every country dumps their products, that means some degree of unemployment is unavoidable because these countries run trade surpluses on purpose and they won't stop them. Right now unemployment is on a heavy downward trend, which means there is no need for protectionism anymore.