Canada, Greenland, Mexico, etc - USA Tariffs / Trade War commencing March 2025 #4

[LoveyG]

May be- but then again, maybe not.

In either case, it could be a mistake for a country seeking to negotiate with Trump to operate under the logic of:

- I dont like Trump.
- People whom I dont like are dim wits.
- As I dont like Trump, he must be a dim wit.

Sometimes the above holds true, but sometimes it does not. I have no idea of whether it holds with Trump.

As a side note, American general MaCarthur had alot in common with Trump: Ego maniac, All or nothing, My way or the highway type attitudes. Alot of people in the US military did not like him.

But.... as the Imperial Japanese found out, he was also over all competent.

Attorney Frank DiPrima revealed what former Wharton marketing professor William T. Kelley told him about Trump: 'Donald Trump was the dumbest student I ever had!'

MSN

 

[BayouBelle_LA]

Trump imposes tariffs on uninhabited Heard and McDonald Islands near Antarctica

Australian prime minister surprised after remote external territories – including islands home to penguins – targeted by US president

www.theguardian.com

Interestingly, America imported over $1mil of product (in 2022) mainly machinery and electrical, from Heard Island and McDonald islands. There's only a fishery there with no buildings or human habitation.
Are they just making numbers up? There's something fishy going on with America's finances!

Moo
Ebm

Do you think the World Bank would make those numbers up.

 

[LoveyG]

Do you think the World Bank would make those numbers up.

Someone seems to be. How do you import machinery from an uninhabited island?

 

[BreakingNews]

It's Australian beef that is used in USA McDonalds hamburgers. Watch the price of a burger increase in USA.

https://www.news.com.au/finance/business/other-industries/donald-trumps-beef-tariff-set-to-smash-us-consumers-and-presidents-beloved-mcdonalds/news-story/9b498a54a84809df525acb9ec2a6a44a

 

[BayouBelle_LA]

Maybe. How do you import machinery from an uninhabited island?

It had to be exported there first. Maybe that’s why they reached out to Australia for comment.

 

[SouthAussie]

Do you think the World Bank would make those numbers up.

Do you see Heard and McDonald Islands on the World Bank list? I don't.

World Bank Open Data

Free and open access to global development data

data.worldbank.org

 

[LoveyG]

It had to be exported there first. Maybe that’s why they reached out to Australia for comment.

Sorry, I edited my post a bit.

 

[BayouBelle_LA]

Do you see Heard and McDonald Islands on the World Bank list? I don't.

World Bank Open Data

Free and open access to global development data

data.worldbank.org

Despite this, according to export data from the World Bank, the US imported US$1.4m (A$2.23m) of products from Heard Island and McDonald Islands in 2022, nearly all of which was “machinery and electrical” imports. It was not immediately clear what those goods were.

Trump imposes tariffs on uninhabited Heard and McDonald Islands near Antarctica

Australian prime minister surprised after remote external territories – including islands home to penguins – targeted by US president

www.theguardian.com

 

[Lyanna]

Do you think the World Bank would make those numbers up.

Who did they trade with then? The invisible man and his invisible government on behalf of the invisible citizens living there?

 

[BayouBelle_LA]

Who did they trade with then? The invisible man and his invisible government on behalf of the invisible citizens living there?

Perhaps the penguins.

 

[Lyanna]

Perhaps the penguins.

 

[otto]

This is what kills me. All these nations are going to send all their manufacturing to the US at the expense of having jobs in their own countries!!?? Good luck with that!

LOL. Trump can dictate in the USofA all he wants, but he doesn't really get to dictate to the rest of the world.

The rest of the world population is far > than 450 million Americans.

I'm so sorry about his 'trade deficits' (they are not) too. I'm sorry that American consumers buy 450 million people's worth of stuff from Canada each year while we Canadians only buy 40 million people's worth of stuff from the USofA. It's called different population sizes. This guy, with 5 (is it only 5?) bankruptcies obviously doesn't understand simple economics or simple math.

And, last time I checked today, the Euro was up and the US dollar down. Only a matter of time until that Euro becomes the world's standard trading currency now IMO.

It didn't occur to me that Trump's Big Idea was that Toyota (and all global manufacturing) would move their head office and manufacturing to the USA.

Trump expects that every industry that benefits USA buyers should relocate to the USA, then the USA wants their products cheap. The USA government will get rich by adding a tax when those products are sold outside the USA. Funny idea.

Why can't the USA develop their own ideas, train employees, build manufacturing plants using local materials, and get rich ... same as other countries. Where are all those USA entrepreneurs?

 

[IzzyBlanche]

Who did they trade with then? The invisible man and his invisible government on behalf of the invisible citizens living there?

The penguins are chagrined that their little undercover export operation has been revealed.

 

[SouthAussie]

Despite this, according to export data from the World Bank, the US imported US$1.4m (A$2.23m) of products from Heard Island and McDonald Islands in 2022, nearly all of which was “machinery and electrical” imports. It was not immediately clear what those goods were.

Trump imposes tariffs on uninhabited Heard and McDonald Islands near Antarctica

Australian prime minister surprised after remote external territories – including islands home to penguins – targeted by US president

www.theguardian.com

I read the link. So I looked at the World Bank list. The islands are not on the list.

 

[Cryptic]

Attorney Frank DiPrima revealed what former Wharton marketing professor William T. Kelley told him about Trump: 'Donald Trump was the dumbest student I ever had!'

And.....

Republicans found plenty of previous and former "A", "Bs" and "Cs" willing to say any number of things about Clinton's and Obama's ethics, intelligence and competency.

Those people must have been making unbiased and unspun statements- right?

 

[Cryptic]

Why can't the USA develop their own ideas, train employees, build manufacturing plants using local materials, and get rich ... same as other countries. Where are all those USA entrepreneurs?

A valid question.

But, there is another equally valid question:

If other nations have such superior products, workers, manufacturing plants and entrepreneurs, why are they so worried about tariffs?

Superior products made under superior management and by superior workers will always sell- even at premium prices- errr..... right?

In the end, the issue probably goes deeper than your question and my question.

 

[LoveyG]

The penguins are chagrined that their little undercover export operation has been revealed.

Honestly, I wonder if Trump's tariffs have just opened a big can of worms that some people would prefer remained close.

 

[SouthAussie]

It had to be exported there first. Maybe that’s why they reached out to Australia for comment.

Think about it. Australia signed our Free Trade Agreement with the US on May 18, 2004. Why would Australia need to lie and pretend we produced machinery and electrical goods on remote Heard and McDonald Islands?

Somebody somewhere has their wires crossed, I think.

 

[sunflowermomma]

It didn't occur to me that Trump's Big Idea was that Toyota (and all global manufacturing) would move their head office and manufacturing to the USA.

Trump expects that every industry that benefits USA buyers should relocate to the USA, then the USA wants their products cheap. The USA government will get rich by adding a tax when those products are sold outside the USA. Funny idea.

Why can't the USA develop their own ideas, train employees, build manufacturing plants using local materials, and get rich ... same as other countries. Where are all those USA entrepreneurs?

I have seen this idea shared by supporters of the tariffs but I don't know where it's coming from. They're saying that they expect "sweatshops" to be moved to the US to avoid tariffs, like factories that make fast fashion clothes. I was not under the impression that the goal (I use that word loosely) was to move all manufacturing here, but that's what it's sounding like. Or at least that's how they understand it. MOO.

 

[SouthAussie]

A valid question.

But, there is another equally valid question:

If other nations have such superior products, workers, manufacturing plants and entrepreneurs, why are they so worried about tariffs?

Superior products made under superior management and by superior workers will always sell- even at premium prices- errr..... right?

In the end, the issue probably goes deeper than your question and my question.

It's not about superior products though, is it? Americans (and Australians, and others) wanted cheaper prices. So manufacturing left our shores for countries that can and will produce and sell products at a lesser cost.

People buy things, they use them then throw them out, then they buy new things. Consumerism has been driving the world economy for a long time now.

Companies (shareholders) don't profit 'enough' when they produce superior items that last and last and last.