The United States has placed Switzerland on a list of countries with “unfair trade practices”.

  • mmddmm@lemm.ee
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    3 hours ago

    To stop this, you need to force Americans to spend less (I.e. ignite a recession), or produce more.

    Well, you need them to import less (i.e. stop making foreign government loans) or export less (i.e. start buying foreign government loans from other countries).

    Neither of them is exactly a recession, but it’s a large change that would trigger one if done badly. (AKA, the current administration will absolutely trigger one if they try - they aren’t trying by the way.)

    • Eatspancakes84@lemmy.world
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      3 hours ago

      Ehm you have that reversed (or your phrasing is terrible). Production>consumption implies export>imports implies lending to abroad exceeds borrowing from abroad. Said differently, if the current account is in surplus, the capital account is (by definition) in deficit.

      To make this all a bit more intuitive: suppose instead of spending money on consumption goods, we invest in foreign assets. In that case we spend less meaning that we either import less foreign goods or have more domestic produced goods available for export. The consequence is an increase in the current account surplus.

      • mmddmm@lemm.ee
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        3 hours ago

        or your phrasing is terrible

        It’s the standard phrasing.

        The loan is a piece of paper (well not anymore, but it used to be) that you make and sell around.