[jasonsb]

Tariffs might keep Chinese EVs out of the US, but they don't stop US influence from fading everywhere else. South America is voting with their wallets, and 'buy American' doesn't work when the price is double and the tech is the same.

Unless the US intends to sanction every country that prioritizes value over US geopolitics, this battle is already lost.

[surgical_fire]

In South America there's also no anxiety over China becoming a superpower, which may be an argument against Chinese products in the US.

In fact, China has pretty good relations with most South American countries. Likely better than the US. I wouldn't be surprised if many people view China more favorably.

[jasonsb]

The average person in the west isn't losing sleep over China either. That anxiety is mostly manufactured by the media pushing the narrative that they are an existential threat. Maybe they are, I don't know. But what I do know is that western companies love it when they can sell you overpriced products made in China, but panic the moment chinese companies sell the exact same product at a fair price.

[dialectical]

Hmm, I wonder if that might have anything to do with the decades of state sponsored terrorism the US has inflicted on the entire region since the 70s? Maybe it wasn't the best idea to make that "we will coup whoever we want" crashout tweet in between begging for crumbs of latam market share?

[cmxch]

That won’t stop the US from practicing Monroe Doctrine to limit Chinese influence.

[surgical_fire]

Good luck. China is the most prominent trade partner for some South American companies.

It would be easier to drop the US instead.