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

[otto]

I don't think he will win against China. It was a foolish battle to pick.

The Communist Party will 'live' a lot longer in China than Trump's own party likely will last. China has the power and money to outlast Trump. And I don't think China is thinking of firing 90,000 of their Army troops.

Australia has a lot of experience with China. Their might is right at our doorstep. We do not cede to them, but we use maximum diplomacy to keep things calm.

Army Planners Are Weighing Force Reductions of Up to 90,000 Active-Duty Soldiers

The Army is quietly considering a sweeping reduction of up to 90,000 active-duty troops, a move that underscores mounting fiscal pressures at the Pentagon and a broader shift in military strategy away from Europe and counterterrorism.

www.military.com

imo

I think Trump has done it again. He wants a robotic army, unmanned bombers, and so on, and the end result is reduction in army. He's starting with the last step again - cut military, then figure out the unmanned military. He's always in such a rush to get to the end result that he skips all the necessary steps to get there.

 

[SouthAussie]

"US stocks dropped on Tuesday for a fourth straight trading day since Trump’s tariffs announcement last week, with the S&P 500 closing below 5,000 for the first time in almost a year.

Several governments announced interventionist measures, including Taiwan, which pre-authorised emergency stabilisation funds for the stock exchange. Seoul announced a $2bn emergency support package for its auto sector, including financial support, tax cuts and subsidies.

Rachel Reeves, the UK chancellor, sought to ease concerns about market volatility, telling parliament she had spoken to Andrew Bailey, the governor of the Bank of England, who confirmed “markets are functioning effectively and that our banking system is resilient”.

French President Emmanuel Macron called on Trump to reconsider, adding if the EU was forced to respond “so be it.” "

Donald Trump unleashes new wave of tariffs against dozens of countries

Global economy rocked again as rates on imports to the US from dozens of trading partners rose further, with China hit by 104% tariffs

www.theguardian.com

 

[Trooper]

If I was them, I wouldn't go near him. The US is not necessarily looking at pure trade agreements. It seems to want to attach strings to any revised tariffs.

(below is from your link)

“The president always wants the same thing in any negotiation: more,” said a former administration official.

Ideas being discussed run the gamut, and include possible action on securing the freedom of Americans wrongfully detained abroad, committing to working with US artificial intelligence companies, buying more US energy or combatting global drug trafficking, according to five people familiar with the brainstorming sessions.

Trump is up against it trying to get American prisoners imprisoned in Australia. He can whistle Dixie on that one. We have a few.. oddly, and maybe its american culture but quite a few are ex-marines, exercising their unacceptable misogyny (IE.misogyny, hatred or prejudice against women, typically exhibited by men. It is generally accepted that misogyny is a consequence of patriarchy (male-dominated society), and the term may be applied to certain individuals as well as larger systems, societies, or cultures. )

One tied his wife to the clothes line and set her alight.. she died, and one ex marine had a job in one of Sydney's largest hospital, .. anyways, the head of nursing found his work ethic suspect and when his contract came up, she would not re sign him on.

This affected his work permit thingo. SO he stalked her thru the streets of Sydney and tracked her down and burst into her home and stabbed her multiple times.. she also died..

Neither of those are up for repatriation any time soon. When, or if, they are ever released they will be deported, back to the USA, on day one of their new life. Trump can argue the toss then , as if anyone in AU would care at that point.

 

[Herat]

I think Trump has done it again. He wants a robotic army, unmanned bombers, and so on, and the end result is reduction in army. He's starting with the last step again - cut military, then figure out the unmanned military. He's always in such a rush to get to the end result that he skips all the necessary steps to get there.

This would explain why he put an inexperienced news commentator without upper level military leadership skills or experience in charge of the Dept of Defense.

A weak man lacking in independent vision or goals, a lap puppy for Trump to order around.

 

[Herat]

This article from Politico is pretty scathing.
As midnight approached, officials from The Philippines had not had any phone calls returned. Other countries were simply ignored.

As others have commented, there are no apparent specific goals to have discussions about. There are no specific parameters on certain commodities. Its sounding very free form - What Will You Give Me? kinds of stuff. This is not how a great country does any kind of business or keeps trust with partners.
Not professional. No measurable outcomes or markers, just what ever Trump feels he can claim as a victory.

Trump is more and more sounding manic, to me ( disclaimer: Not a mental health professional)

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/08/trump-tariffs-talks-countries-00279959

 

[otto]

What does the USA government need in order to believe that companies are moving their pharmaceutical manufacturing to the USA? Finding a site, building designs, testing processes, and more. That takes a few years and huge capital investment. Who is going to pay for that - the countries that currently produce pharmaceuticals, or is the USA government funding the transition?

Does the government intend to impose the tariffs on foreign governments until the facility is built and producing what the USA needs, or will the tariff be removed with a promise? If the tariff remains in place throughout the process, why not wait until there is a USA government change, as that may happen faster that building what Trump wants.

None of it makes sense, especially since the USA government does not want to invest in building pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities in the USA.

"At an evening speech to Republican lawmakers, Trump said he would soon announce "major" tariffs on pharmaceutical imports, arguing the duties would push drug companies to move manufacturing operations to the U.S."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/trump-tariffs-china-1.7505028

 

[Trooper]

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My fave president, Lawrence Wong of Singapore right up there with Pedro Sanchez, and Emmanuel Macron. ... and Mette Frederiksen, telling it like it really is.. not the Trump version , riddled with delusion and fantasy..

 

[BayouBelle_LA]

and?? why should it have ANY rate?

Don’t shoot the messenger.

I’m just correcting Aaron Rupar’s tweet. Rupar cut Greer’s sentence to fit his narrative. Why didn’t he just add the few words that would complete Greer’s sentence. That’s why he didn’t use punctuation. imo

 

[Herat]

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My fave president, Lawrence Wong of Singapore right up there with Pedro Sanchez, and Emmanuel Macron. ... and Mette Frederiksen, telling it like it really is.. not the Trump version , riddled with delusion and fantasy..

Yeah. President Lawrence Wong is a breath of fresh air. What a lucid and very understandable presentation. He has a great synopsis of global trade, trade policy, and such a good insight into American issues.

Yesterday, Singaporean Investment companies were discussing how they are seeing great opportunities in the new China and putting investments there.

 

[Kemug]

If we are, DJT was right about one thing: I'm tired of winning.

So retire, Donald!

 

[detective.moon]

China correspondent Gabi Verberg:

There are rumors that China is putting together a new package of countermeasures. As on previous occasions, China will not limit itself to declaring new import tariffs, but will also introduce a range of other punitive measures.

Sources affiliated with Chinese state media speak of additional levies on a range of agricultural goods, including soybeans and sorghum, and a total ban on all imports of U.S. poultry products.

But the measures are unlikely to be limited to the agricultural sector. There is also talk of ending all cooperation to address the U.S. fentanyl problem. This is a sore point for President Trump, who often gave China's supposed role in the fentanyl trade as the reason for the first levies he imposed against that country.

And finally, a ban on American films is under consideration. The latter measure seems to be mostly a symbolic punishment; after all, it is already incredibly difficult for foreign films to secure a spot on the Chinese silver screen.

Trump zet torenhoge importheffingen tegen China door

Trump dreigde gisteren in reactie op importheffingen van China om de huidige importheffingen met nog eens 50 procent te verhogen.

nos.nl

 

[Kemug]

Dear Donald et al
This is to inform you all that I will never visit your country again, whilst you are in power.
Yours sincerely
Kemug
PS My friends and family say the same.

 

[SouthAussie]

What does the USA government need in order to believe that companies are moving their pharmaceutical manufacturing to the USA? Finding a site, building designs, testing processes, and more. That takes a few years and huge capital investment. Who is going to pay for that - the countries that currently produce pharmaceuticals, or is the USA government funding the transition?

Does the government intend to impose the tariffs on foreign governments until the facility is built and producing what the USA needs, or will the tariff be removed with a promise? If the tariff remains in place throughout the process, why not wait until there is a USA government change, as that may happen faster that building what Trump wants.

None of it makes sense, especially since the USA government does not want to invest in building pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities in the USA.

"At an evening speech to Republican lawmakers, Trump said he would soon announce "major" tariffs on pharmaceutical imports, arguing the duties would push drug companies to move manufacturing operations to the U.S."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/trump-tariffs-china-1.7505028

And I suppose that all of these pharmaceutical companies that are meant to move to the US will also be providing all of their own research dollars to find new medications and cures?

Trump halts medical research funding in apparent violation of judge’s order

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Are we winning yet?

There is a concept of a plan to win in 2 weeks time.

 

[IzzyBlanche]

China unlikely to blink first as Trump’s trade war enters uncharted new territory

Since Trump’s first trade war with China in 2018, Beijing has ramped up trade with other countries, making it less dependent on the US

www.theguardian.com

 

[IzzyBlanche]

So retire, Donald!

I'm not Donald

 

[HmmMysterious]

Australia has the lowest rate available under the new program. There isn’t a lower rate. imo

No, you know who actually had the lowest rate? RUSSIA. It got ZERO percent. Trump said it's because the U.S isn't trading with Russia, well we don't trade with those islands full of penguins and they got slapped with tariffs.

 

[SouthAussie]

No, you know who actually had the lowest rate? RUSSIA. It got ZERO percent. Trump said it's because the U.S isn't trading with Russia, well we don't trade with those islands full of penguins and they got slapped with tariffs.

The US is trading with Russia. They lied.
In fact, the US is importing more from Russia than it is exporting to Russia. Incurring a trade deficit with Russia. Which is supposed to mean a 'bigger tariff'.

International Trade

www.census.gov

Bessent's claim that there is no trade with Russia therefore fails to reflect the reality that imports from the country, reduced as they may be, remain significant for the US, particularly because they involve strategic goods such as fertilizers and inorganic chemicals.

Trump tariffs: Why are Russia and Belarus not targeted? – DW – 04/05/2025

US President Donald Trump has slapped comprehensive tariffs on 185 countries worldwide, but not on Russia and Belarus. Why is that?

www.dw.com

 

[KinseyFan]

Dear Donald et al
This is to inform you all that I will never visit your country again, whilst you are in power.
Yours sincerely
Kemug
PS My friends and family say the same.

Same

 

[Trooper]

Same

count me IN