What is the goal of Americans not buying stuff? What is it they hope to achieve?
It's a great move IMHO. I visited a WTO (world trade org) event in Mumbai recently and the US representative (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_N._Haass) was somewhat happy with what Prez. Trump is doing with import duties.
Unlike a communist country they're free to pick targets that are political targets, in particular they're being smart, going for Trump's rural base. Meanwhile real people, in both countries are losing their livelyhoods.
If I get your point right, I think that depends on a few things:
(1) how much the 'Trump's rural base' in question depends on the Chinese market for their exports (not as much as the reverse IMO);
(2) Whether US cos. will be able to take advantage of the higher tariffs on China made goods and hence sell more (therefore increase / stabilise employment);
(3) If it doesn't really impact imports from China, and Americans just end up paying higher prices due to the tariffs, then how the GOV uses this new income from the tariffs? This could be used to strengthen local industry and increase employment, etc.
> which China is doing
China was doing this either ways by levying high import duties on products brought in to China, while US practiced free market and low key became somewhat of a victim to subsidised Chinese manufacturing.
Disclaimer: my views may be naive, and would love to be corrected or given more insight on the subject to prove my view otherwise.
I think China is targeting pork and soy beans (lowest prices now in a decade)
Not true. Developing countries like China and India have long imposed "import duties" (aka customs or tariff) on certain categories of products to safe guard local industry and employment while making special trade agreements only with a few countries.
They even change the tariffs on a yearly basis without caring about consumers of imported goods in their country (prices of imported cars and items like the iPhone vary every year in India).